To Possess a Vampire
by maroongrad
Summary: An alternate take on Alucard's capture with a very unwilling vampire. Abraham and Alucard do not have the best of beginnings. Rated M for a limited noncon scene. Reviews are loved!
1. Chapter 1

Nope, don't own Hellsing or any of the characters. They belong to Hirano.

This story just sort of arrived. I really didn't have time to write any more Hellsing but it insisted...even though I have two story arcs begging to be completed on the other stories. Such is life. It is NOT in the same timeline as the others, but an entirely different one, off on its own.

CAUGHT

Abraham watched the coffin with a sort of bitter fascination. They'd nailed it tightly shut in Romania, sealing the monster in with chains and the Host, much to his fury. The vampire had screamed at them for days, finally changing tactics to wailing and crying. Ignoring it had been difficult, but Abraham was determined not to submit to the manipulations the desperate beast was subjecting them to. He'd told it quite plainly that the vampire was now HIS property, and property had no rights at all.

The Count had not taken it well, losing his grasp on English to apparently curse fluently in his native Romanian.

The constant noise, from sundown to dawn, had not ceased until they'd loaded the monster into the boat. He'd remained silent from the shores of eastern Europe to the ports of London, silent on all the trip to Van Hellsing's English home, silent during the days of storage while a room was prepared for him. Plotting, no doubt, or hoping that silence would convince them to open the coffin and check on him. Van Hellsing was no fool, though. There was nothing in the coffin itself that could kill the vampire and a few weeks without food would leave it weak and angry but by no means deceased. And so he'd ignored the silent container and raced to prepared a suitable new cage for his beast.

The room now contained the coffin, sealing him in with Host and Holy Water that had been mixed into the mortar itself, thick steel bars with a line of blessed silver down each, more silver, a small fortune in the metal, outlining symbols on the floor and sealing the room further. Small iron plates with crosses etched in them, then blessed, were inset among the silver designs that also stretched across the ceiling of the room. The door, too was thickly warded, a second chamber and second door extending far into the passageway outside of it, providing a second layer of protection on the weakest point in the entire setup.

Once the room was prepared, the nails had been removed from the coffin at noon. It had remained unopened. Abraham worried that opening it would actually waken the monster. While he had faith in the collar and chains he'd placed on the beast at its capture and the strength of the spells woven into them, he was by no means foolhardy. They had not been tested, after all. So the nails and chains were removed, and the coffin left alone in the chamber. Shortly before dusk, the Harkers, Seward, and Arthur had joined him, waiting and watching the coffin through the narrow barred windows looking in from the passageway. They were all armed fully with vampire-fighting weapons, from small delicate flasks of holy water designed to shatter upon impact to thick, heavy, and sharp stakes.

They watched, tense and anxious, and the time crept by. Abraham's bitter anger ate at him; he wanted nothing so much as to see the horror and dismay on the face of the murdering beast as it realized the complete change in its circumstances. And they waited, listening to hear the monster stir.

After an hour, Abraham had lost patience. "Monster!" His voice rang out unexpectedly, causing the humans with him to startle. Mina's glare would have felled a lesser man. Somewhat sheepish, he continued, volume reduced but still powerful. "Monster! You are being given the limited freedom of this room. Abuse this privilege and you'll be confined in the coffin when I am not using you." He had every intention of using that vampire, finding out every trick an undead could pull and creating counteragents for each and every one. Leaving him sealed entirely in the coffin when not being studied would have been easier, but the basics of vampire behavior were also unknown. And while Abraham possessed quite a few sticks to beat the vampire with, this limited freedom would be a carrot.

"And vampires don't like carrots." The thought popped unexpectedly into his mind, and he smiled to himself at his humor, using it to alleviate his frustration when the coffin remained entirely quiet.

Midnight came and went. Abraham's occasional commands to get up became somewhat more rude and vulgar, the only outward sign of his irritation and frustration. The others joined in, but no one, NO ONE, would enter that room. The Count, for all they knew and suspected, was attempting to lure them in. He was certainly starving, and Abraham found this to be the most likely course the monster was taking. It explained the silence, for the monster was certainly not dead; nothing in that coffin would have destroyed him and the bonds Abraham had placed on him still sang their songs of containment when the man tested them. Dracula had the patience of a hunter. And so did Abraham.

Shortly after midnight, the humans dispersed. A watch would be kept in pairs until dawn, but no more attempts would be made to roust the beast. Abraham stomped off to his bed, seething. All that effort, all that waiting, the race to prepare the room as quickly as possible, the incredible tense anticipation throughout the day, and the first thing the damn beast did was fail to cooperate.

Well, there was always tomorrow.

And that thought was enough to lull his anger into sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

To possess a vampire, ch 2

It was shortly past dawn when Abraham opened the coffin. He wasn't certain what to expect, but gave the highest likelihood to an underweight vampire sleeping peacefully. He would not have been too surprised to see a scowl on its face, even in slumber, and was accepting the outside chance that, somehow, the vampire had managed to trap the coffin so as to injure those opening it. It was even possible the vampire was awake and waiting. And so nearby stood Seward and Harker. Arthur and Mina waited outside the room, well-armed and ready to provide backup but out of the immediate range of any retaliation the beast might indulge in.

Nerves were strung tightly and when Abraham lifted the lid, it made a creaking and popping sound as the wood released; all but the iron-nerved Van Hellsing jumped at the sudden shock of the loud sound. The lid slid off easily to thump heavily on the stone floor, and the light from the lanterns on the wall clearly illuminated their foe, for the first time since his capture.

Abraham's first impression was that the beast was broken. The monster looked like some tattered and discarded child's toy with all its strings cut. Dracula was prone, stretched out to his full length in the coffin, which was no surprise; the interior was simply too confined for him to lie otherwise. The eyes were half-open, much as a corpse's eyes without the stygian mass of the coins to close them, and the hateful red glow was entirely gone. They looked filmy, nearly grey, the eyes of a corpse and not a vampire. The face was slack, but not due to peaceful slumber, but the slack of a face whose owner had died days previously. The jaw gapped open, the skin slid off the high, overly-protuberant cheekbones, and even the inside of the mouth looked dusty and dry, not glistening with the saliva of a living creature.

Abraham forced his attention off the face of his defeated foe, and began to inspect the rest of the creature's body. He would not touch it, no, not and risk waking it, but the absolute lack of life in the face concerned him. He'd staked a handful of other vampires in his past, having long since learned that to hunt them during the night was pure suicide, and had seen his share of sleeping vampires as a result.

None of them had the air of decay and, well, emptiness, that Dracula possessed. They had all looked undead, like a fresh corpse just barely stripped of vitality. Dracula looked like the sort of corpse that even the most enterprising grave robber would reinter.

His gaze began to move down the body, taking in details. The shoulders rose, bones pressing against the cloth of the beast's shirt, showing the emaciation clearly. The arms lay at the side, extending down past the deeply concave abdomen. But the hands seemed odd. The fingers lay differently than on a human. Somewhat perplexed, Abraham lifted a lantern closer to gain a better look.

They were all broken. Each and every finger, the bones of the hands even, the wrists, twisted and deformed. There was no swelling, no bruising, just the slender fingers, looking like a child had dropped a clay sculpture of a hand and glued it back together badly. No, not broken. Shattered. And then he realized just what had seemed so odd. With no blood, there hadn't been the bloody patch he'd expected, simply a shiny patch of pink. It had not been different enough to see, not immediately.

But the nails had been ripped off the fingers.

The gorge rose briefly in his throat, but Abraham steadied himself and continued his inspection. The legs seemed normal, until he reached the knees. No fabric covered the bones of the knees; the cloth was worn away, shredded. And no skin covered the bones, either. The kneecaps and tendons, the rounded heads of femur and tibia, gleamed up at him, stripped of the thin flesh that should have concealed them. Just past the joint, the covering resumed, the goriness fading into jagged-edged skin which was almost immediately covered again by the dark cloth.

Boots, the vampire had worn boots when captured. And, thick and sturdy as they had been, they had protected his feet from the sort of damage that his body had sustained, yet they were in tatters themselves. The sides were worn through in spots, the thick leather of the soles cracked down the center, the toe box open and exposing the toes. A few of those toes, Abraham was sickened to note, were also missing nails. Unlike the hands, the feet seemed otherwise intact. The ankles, though...one of those feet sagged at an angle that should not be possible with the kneecap pointing up. Boot or no, it had been snapped, twisted out of shape.

Abraham sat back, horrified at what he was finding. True, the damned beast deserved every scrap of pain and suffering it experienced, but Abraham could not determine how it could possibly have been so injured under his care. The only things in the coffin with it had been the thin iron bands around its neck and wrists, bands that remained intact and were entirely incapable of causing this sort of damage. Pain, yes, they could cause pain when the vampire attempted to disobey, a sort of automatic whip for disobedience. But quiescent in the coffin, they would have done no more than discourage escape, not shattered bones and stripped skin and nails away.

The others were back too far to see what Abraham was seeing so clearly, and he blessed that for a moment. They didn't need to see this, didn't need to see the raw pink of a nail bed and the gleam of a bone. They could see the overall injuries, yes, but were mercifully spared the fine details that Abraham was taking in.

Had someone opened the coffin during transit and abused the vampire? No...the nails had still been firmly set. The sea voyage, had it perhaps thrown the vampire about in the casket? For a moment, Abraham pictured the sling battering the vampire about the coffin as it was loaded and unloaded, but then reality stepped in. He'd watched it while loading and unloading, and it had been strapped down in the hold to prevent shifting. A boat ride was no smooth trip, but the craft had been large enough to prevent excessive tossing. No, it had not been assault or the trip that had caused this damage.

Curious and worried, Abraham moved his attention to the coffin itself. He almost expected to see a few hungry rats peeking out at him, but the thought appeared and died instantly. Rats, trapped with a dead body, would have eaten the eyes and stomach out first. Bones would have been gnawed, not snapped and shattered. The interior of the coffin was under the vampire itself, but Abraham found himself frowning. Hadn't there been a lining on the sides of the coffin? Yes, there was some above the vampire's head. Where was the fabric that had lined the sides, covering and concealing the dry wood slabs of the sides? It had given the coffin an air of opulence, that someone would have a coffin lined in fine fabrics simply to be buried. The thin tacks that had held the fabric up remained on the sides, and a few tiny tatters of cloth pinned down under them. Yes, under the vampire...there was the telltale peek of a few bits of the rich material. At some point, it had been stripped from the sides and fallen to the bottom of the casket.

The curiousity and worry began to fade entirely to dread and guilt. The vampire...the damage showed it had been desperate to escape. Desperate enough to inflict grave injury on itself. Knowing and dreading what he would see, Abraham moved to the lid, gently turning it over to reveal the inside surface.

A line of gouges marked it above where the vampire's hands had been. Sturdy oak or not, the damage was impressive. And the tell-tale gleam of foreign materials stood out from it. Fingernails. Down a bit further, dents and long, slick marks of dried blood, from the knees. The base...dented more, with a few scratches from the toes once the boots had been worn through. And another nail, a toenail.

Vampires protected their coffins. Each that Abraham had seen had been carefully and lovingly waxed and oiled. If there were hinges, they were soft and flexible leather or well-lubricated gleaming metals. Dust was never allowed to settle on the coffin of a monster, and that was how he had found them. Most of his hunts had been based on the suspicion of a vampire in the area, then the slow and steady hunt through crypts until a coffin was found that was far too new and too clean for its surroundings.

Dracula had nearly destroyed his own coffin attempting to escape, and had left his own body in tatters. He'd struggled long past the point at which it had to have become clear that he was sealed in too well to escape, past the point of pointlessness, until he was too exhausted to move any more. He'd caused permanent scarring and damage to his beloved coffin in the process. And...he'd been told that Abraham was going to release him, he'd known it was not permanent.

What had the beast gone through?

Abraham pushed himself up off the floor, staring down at his damaged property. He was horrified, but quashed any feelings of guilt with the memories of what the creature before him had done. There was no way to hurt or punish it any more than it deserved, nothing that could be done to it that would not be just.

Instead of worrying about how it had suffered, he pushed his mind onto more important considerations. Would it recover? How long would it take? How much blood would it need? Would animal blood suffice? How much time would have to pass before it was strong enough to begin the experiments that Abraham was longing to work upon it? Would it be too angry, too furious to cooperate, even with the pain and punishment Abraham could inflict?

Abraham nearly reached down to replace the lid on the coffin, but thought better of it. Off, the creature might realize it could now leave. Instead, Abraham beckoned to his silent companions, both of them glaring at the monster and unaware of Abraham's conclusions. They'd remained silent, as requested, giving the creature as little incentive to wake as possible.

It was time to talk about what he'd observed with them. Seward, with his deep experience with the deranged, might offer insight into the vampire's possible behavior patterns. Harker had been an unwilling guest of the beast, and had a very unique viewpoint and understanding of this particular creature's behaviors as a result. Between the three of them, Abraham thought they could be well prepared for when the beast woke that evening.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3, Possess (an x x x x denotes a change in viewpoint or time)

It was only a few hours after dark, and the monster had remained motionless. The general consensus was that he was a sly bastard; Harker had given them a wealth of information on just how treacherous the creature was. It was unlikely that he'd attack them directly, for he'd seemed to rely more on his Romani to attack, using pawns instead of involving himself directly. If they woke him, it was most likely that instead of attacking, he'd spend time analyzing the new situation and trying to twist it somehow to his advantage.

Of course, he might also try to rip their throats out. And so they were once again well-armed when the room was opened and the vampire approached.

Abraham's mind had reduced the sheer level of damage that the vampire had experienced, added more color and mass and threat to the beast. Tonight, under the bright glow of additional lanterns, the pitiful tatters of the once-powerful and proud beast were on clear display and Abraham was forced to acknowledge just how terribly the beast had suffered.

"As he deserved." This was the cold thought that passed through the man's mind, squelching any beginning compassion or guilt. But as he was, the vampire was useless, and so they had come to revive him. Human blood, for they didn't yet know if the vampire could consume the animal blood Abraham intended to keep him with. Not much, only a small amount drawn from a servant earlier in the evening, already cooled and partially clotted, but blood nonetheless.

With both heavily armed men beside him and Mina and her husband now guarding the door, he tipped the liquid into the slack mouth of the monster. It flowed slowly and viscously downwards, disappearing to pool in the back of the mouth, not swallowed...there. The throat had worked convulsively, pulling the sticky liquid down. A few more drops rolled slowly out of the cup, a second and final swallow taking in the remaining traces of blood, and then Abraham pulled the cup away. The monster lay dormant still, no sign of movement, no trace of life once the throat ceased its motion.

Patiently, they waited.

x x x x x x

Blood, there was blood. Dracula remained floating in the darkest recesses of his mind. Perhaps there was blood. Perhaps it was only his mind taunting him again. He'd lost count of the number of times that his coffin had opened for him, the number of times he'd awakened in the crypts of his home, the number of times he'd satisfied his hunger in the throat of Van Hellsing. And each time, he'd fought his way back to awareness, convinced he'd gained his freedom, only to find himself staring into the blackness of his coffin.

He could not recognize what was real, what was desperate hallucination. Deprived of food, of light, of scent, with all sounds muffled, worn down and unable to move, with the only sensation the rocking of the boat (unless that was imagined now, as well) and the pain of his body, deprived and denied of freedom and sensation, he'd begun to lose his mind. And knowing this was occurring, he'd retreated from his body, into the dark hollows of his mind.

He didn't know how much time had passed while he hid away, or what had occurred to him. Barely sensible of his body, it would tell him that he was a starved husk in one moment, the next flood him with the sensation of a hot, fresh meal. Unreliable, all his senses had turned to lies, and he'd retreated from them all.

But first, the man had broken him.

Dracula shuddered, seeking solace deeper in the dark of his mind. He'd been so frightened, so desperate, as his mind slipped and the hallucinations took over. He'd seen the leering Turk of his youth, the deaths of his children, the defeat of his army, again and again and again. Those were the predictable nightmares. But in others, his coffin had been slowly chewing him, savoring each scrap of flesh, each crunch and crush of his bones. Random and bizarre figures arrived, threatening and bribing him, and had done so for a length of time he could not measure. Was it a single night? A single hour? Months of torment? He feared he was finally in Hell, suffering for his sins.

And in the moments of lucidity, he found himself pleading and gasping, all pride gone. He promised Abraham anything, anything at all, if the man would simply release him. Before long, he was pleading simply for the lid to be opened, a breath of air and light and scent and sound, he'd abandoned all pride in his great need.

And Abraham did not respond. He could hear the men about them, at least he thought he heard them, though they could easily be the formation of the wisps and dreams of his own mind. And so he had surrendered. Abraham had said he would be released, at some point. He gave up control of his body, entirely helpless and at the mercy of the merciless humans, retreating into his mind, waiting and hoping that he would eventually be released, revived. And wondering and fearing what would happen at that time.

If there was blood, perhaps that time had come?

Unwilling to risk the pain of madness, to fight his way back into silence, Dracula remained away. Perhaps it was blood. Perhaps not. Fearful and broken, he stayed in the safety of the blackness, the cold and dark comfort of the void, and ignored the few sensations of his body that penetrated into his solitude.

x x x x x x

"Damnation." Arthur's voice was tight and tense. He'd been warned by Van Hellsing, John, and Johnathan that the vampire had been badly damaged, and even so there had been a shock at seeing the degree. But then the creature had swallowed, and he'd tightened his grip on the stake and hammer, waiting for the eyes to open and the monster to move.

And it merely swallowed. Time passed,the men and Mina muttering quietly among themselves, watching the beast closely, and Van Hellsing held out his pocketwatch, watching the beast and the time. When half an hour had passed with no movement, Arthur reached into his coat, removing the second cup of blood from the pocket where it had rested safely. Abraham took it, tipping it into the beast's mouth as well.

The throat moved much more quickly this time, but still the monster lay still, silent. As it lay there, Van Hellsing began to observe it carefully, seeing the changes that small amount of blood wrought.

The hands smoothed somewhat. Still lumpy and misformed, but the smaller pieces had pulled themselves straight, merging. Nowhere near healed, but a small and visible improvement. The eyes sagged entirely shut, the milky and soft surface hidden behind the paper-thin lids. And the knees...skin crept slowly and inexorably over them, sealing away the bones and tendons. Very thin, very delicate skin, but the insides of the legs were no longer so exposed to the air and to damage. The nailbeds remained a pale pink, no blood and no regrowth occurring. The splinters embedded in the flesh remained embedded, though Van Hellsing had seen vampires expel foreign material, such as bullets and shotgun pellets, with ease.

Clinically, he called Seward over, pointing out to the younger doctor each change as it was noted. Seward saw the mouth pull shut, and Abraham glanced up at it to see that, while not firmly shut, it was no longer gaping as though the muscles holding it had rotten away. The vampire remained silent, still, and unresponsive, but Abraham was pleased with the minor but definite progress towards its recovery. The small changes stopped, no more healing occurring, and the vampire still just as silent as before.

Even so, it had shown conclusively that providing human blood would help it to heal. Tomorrow, then, they would feed it a much more substantial meal, and perhaps his new research subject would be able to begin answering some of those questions Abraham had about vampiric abilities. 


	4. Chapter 4

Possess, ch 4

There was more blood. More. And more. Dracula found himself swallowing greedily, feeling his body heal, the pain ease. But this he'd experienced countless times already, only to find himself still in his coffin. Even dreaming, even lost, he would not deprive himself of the enjoyment of a meal. False pleasure, lost in the flicker of a mind, it might be. But pleasure all the same, relief and healing and strength too, and so he drank.

And then the dream came to an end, no more blood arrived. He was full, beyond full, truly, his body healing at knitting at an intense rate. Or so he hoped. Perhaps. Uncertain and fearful, unwilling to experience the grief and disappointment of returning to his body to find it as dry and pain-filled as when he'd left, Dracula pulled back into the darkness.

He couldn't bear the dark and that stifling, blind emptiness, the lack of everything intrinsic to his being, the starvation and the pain. If he restored the rest of the ties to his body, brought himself back into wakefulness, he might well be staring at the featureless black of his coffin. He could not bear that again. He knew it was cowardice, but he simply could not face this, no more. He'd been pushed to the limits of what he could endure, then through those limits.

He stayed safely in the dark, ignoring the signals from his body that told him his body was full of blood, healing, safe to return to. He'd heard them before, and each time had struggled back to wake in a body of pain, trapped and isolated. No more. He could not do that again.

With a mental sob, he pulled back from the world that beckoned him, hiding himself away in the timeless, comforting cold dark inside himself.

x x x x x x

"Damnation." Arthur's range of vocabulary for the vampire was a bit limited, Abraham noted idly. The vampire had consumed all six gallons of blood over the last hour, a prodigious amount. The blood had gone to repair and restore its body. Muscle had rebuilt, filling out the sagging and thin skin. The skin had grown, once again a solid, thick layer over those new muscles. Arteries had plumped out briefly, bright red with blood as it was somehow pushed down the limbs to starved extremities, and Abraham made a mental note that this was something he wished to discover the means of in the future.

It had taken another two hours for the vampire to finish healing. The swollen stomach from the last gallon of blood had not emptied immediately as it had done for the bulk of the blood, but emptied slowly. The hair darkened, the nailbeds solidified and nails formed, the hands became the delicate and deadly, graceful instruments they had been. The cavity in the chest, from the half-healed stake wound, had filled completely, not even a scar remaining. The vampire seemed fully healed, and looked ready to spring out of the coffin, yet remained motionless, muscles slack, body unresponsive.

"We'll try a bit more blood." Abraham's conclusion was voiced, and he took the final gallon of blood from the floor, tilting it to pour a thin, brief stream into the creature's mouth. Held open by a short, wide funnel, the blood had easy access...but it simply pooled in the throat for a few moments. The vampire swallowed then, but almost reluctantly. Abraham smiled. "He's full." He placed the last of the large blood bottles back onto the floor, glad that he had requested so very much from the hospitals. Even the best surgeons' patients bled, and the excess of more than a score of surgeries at a handful of hospitals had been gathered that day to feed his new possession.

He'd considered carefully the volume of a healthy adult vampire, then the wasted state of the creature he now owned, and estimated that four to five gallons would suffice. Instead, the creature had taken nearly six. But, with luck, the hospitals had produced more blood than he'd expected. Unlucky perhaps for the patients, but a boon for his vampire. Time crept by, and though the healing had stopped, the vampire did not waken. Mina came in, taking the remaining blood away to place in the ice box purchased just for that reason, then returned. Abraham nearly shooed her away, sending her back to her station beside the door.

However, Mina had not yet seen the vampire for more than a few moments since the coffin had been opened, the only one of the group that had not had that opportunity. So Abraham held his tongue, watching as her glare turned into puzzlement. Before he could stop her, she'd grasped one of those badly damaged boots, shaking the vampire's leg thoroughly.

No response, none at all, from the corpse in front of them. Emboldened, the men joined Mina. The vampire was shaken, shouted at, cheeks slapped; even the most inert of drunks would have been rousted by their efforts. And yet the vampire remained still, utterly silent.

x x x x x x

"Try silver. Not much, but enough to sting him." Seward's steely eyes turned back to the vampire. "If he's that deeply asleep, it make take a bit of a shock to wake him up."

"True." Abraham nodded. "I'd been planning to test his resistance to silver, varying the concentration and forms, liquid and solid and powdered, blessed and plain, surface and internal. I'd rather have waited until he was concious and able to interact with us, but I suppose I wouldn't have any objection to testing how quickly his skin heals when he's not awake and possibly directing the process."

Within moments, they'd found that only Mina possessed any suitable silver. Abraham, along with Arthur, had silver, but only in the form of a cross. Johnathan Harker had a St. Christopher's medal, given to him by Mina before his first voyage to Romania. Seward had the bullets in the gun, but they'd also been blessed. For a simple test of plain silver, Mina's brooch was their only source.

But it was silver, and she handed it over with no hesitation. Abraham took it, staring at his vampire, wondering where on earth he should begin? He'd planned to test the back, as a large area of skin of similar consistency, where multiple marks could be compared, but was loathe to roll the vampire over. Doing so would hide at least part of its face, and he didn't wish to miss any potential responses or expressions.

Conclusion reached, he leaned into the coffin, ripping loose the last tatters of the shirt from the beast's abdomen. The smooth, unmarked surface lay before him, and with a smile of anticipation at having his beast awake and learning its new position, he pressed the silver of the brooch into the skin.

The hissing surprised them, and the skin around the brooch quickly turned grey, then blackened. Grey and blue streaks ran out from the brooch for the width of a thumb, ringing it like the petals of a diseased flower. The scent of burnt meat rose up, not quite a stench, but very unpleasant. To Abraham's surprise, the brooch grew colder, chilling as the vampire's skin burnt and crisped.

And there was no response from the vampire, not even a twitch. Scowling, Abraham thrust the brooch back at Mina, then returned to study his monster. The wound was healing, albeit slowly, the tracery of lines about it already faded, and within a few minutes, the grey had faded to white, the black to pale grey, and the small pit had filled. Shortly afterwards, there was no sign that they had tried to wake the beast at all.

Blessed silver bullets caused deeper and greater damage, but whether that was due to a higher concentration of silver or the holy nature of the bullets, Abraham was not certain. The silver crucifixes seared a hole, cutting the form of the cross into the beast's flesh through the skin and to the muscle underneath, burning and searing that as well.

As before, those healed. And the beast gave no sign, no indication that he had suffered, that the pain would wake him.

It was with ill grace that the troupe left the vampire in the the basement, leaving the dark and cold and barren rooms to the comfortable, homely rooms of the house. The contrast could not have been greater. They were tired, and wasted no time in finding their beds. Tomorrow, they'd think of other ways to wake the monster, but for tonight, frustration and tension had them exhausted.

Below them, alone in the cold and dark, the vampire continued to sleep. 


	5. Chapter 5

Possess, chapter 5 (As before, xxxx marks a change in scenery, time, or viewpoint. The Host is the holy bread used in communion, supposed to become the body of Christ.)

Time had passed. How much, he wasn't sure. But his body, it kept telling him that he was healed, full, healthy. At one point, he'd felt the pain of silver, the burn that boiled his blood, and even the touch of silver could cause his entire body to twist in pain. And the pain had repeated and repeated, sometimes with a holy object, sometimes not. He could not tell if this was a true report of his body, or a false one. But why would Van Helsing heal him, then injure him? Was this torture?

His mind whimpered. He'd experienced torture before, and now...now he wouldn't die despite pain that would kill a human.

Ridiculous. If his body was healed, after all, and since he'd been receiving such a steady flow of hints and impressions it was possible that this was indeed the case, they would not have healed him simply to burn him with silver while he was unconcious. He himself knew that it was entirely unfulfilling to torment someone mindless and unaware; he'd gotten quite adept over the years at bringing his victims to the edge of their conciousness but not allowing them over. And Abraham had claimed him as property, not victim. Property. He should be furious at that, but his fury had long since run out. All he felt for Abraham now was fear.

The man had caught him, staked him, taunted him. His Romani were defeated, his castle blocked to him. His wives were dead. Van Helsing had even known enough, had strong enough faith, to remove the last of his hold on Mina. The man had somehow controlled him with the bands, he had felt that hateful collar on his neck, the thin shackles on his wrist. Dracula had been defeated, and he knew it.

And then he'd been broken.

Property. Property was so much better than victim.

He hunched inside his mind, too frightened to leave.

x x x x x x x

The inert body of the vampire lay before Abraham, and he puffed out his cheeks, looking unwittingly comedic in his frustration. The others simply watched him, no longer so comfortable around the good doctor as they had been.

The vampire's body had been scorched and abused, with holy water, Host, and silver. If it had been day, Abraham would probably have tossed it out onto the lawn to cook in the sunlight. As the damage mounted, the vampire healing slower and slower, the scarring and bloody welts and pits accumulating, they'd had all begun to question what they were doing, to become uncomfortable in dealing so much damage to an unresisting, unresponsive body. It was, of all people, Johnathan Harker who'd first spoken out.

"We can't do this, Abraham." At Van Helsing's questioning look, Harker had continued. "He can't defend himself, can't stop us. And while we think he isn't feeling this, we could be wrong. And if he did wake up...Abraham, think of how much pain he would be in." Harker's expansive gestures took in the mottled and pitted chest and stomach of the beast. Abraham's last attempt had involved cutting the vampire open, and placing Host in its abdomen. "How much pain he might be in. This is wrong, we are not beasts ourselves." The others had agreed, quietly but with relief that someone had finally voiced their discomfort. Abraham was held in very high regard, without him both Lucy and Mina would be damned monsters themselves and who knows how many other victims dead or insane. No one had wanted to speak out.

But Harker, after his experiences, was both more fragile and stronger than before. And in this case, his strength came through.

And so, after a discussion that nearly became a definite argument, the attempts to wake the vampire through pain ceased. Abraham looked down at his monster, scowling in his anger, then standing, cheeks puffed out. They were right, dammit. No more abuse of the monster, at least not this night. Instead, the final jar of blood was retrieved, and drained entirely by the vampire, no hesitation in his swallowing. Abraham thought it might well have taken in more, and as he watched, that blood began to work its wonders on the corpse before them.

He hadn't realized the vampire's hair had lightened, he must put that in his notes, but it was definitely a deeper, glossier black after feeding. The face, too, looked smoother, the body more solid. Lifting an eyelid showed the same intense red gaze, but without the spark of vitality Van Helsing was accustomed to. The holes and pits filled in as before, even the great slit in his abdomen healing closed despite the charred innards from the Host. That took the longest to close, and Abraham realized he ought to have timed it for the record. No matter, he could repeat this experiment in the future.

His steady gaze was interupted by Mina's voice. "Abraham, we haven't given him more than a few hours of peace since he was released and fed. Perhaps he just needs time, we can't see inside him to find if there was any damage to his organs, after all." Her steady brown eyes watched the monster before them. "I would like to see what happens if we do nothing but feed him tomorrow night, leave him undamaged and unharmed. It might be that rest and peace is what he needs to wake."

Abraham had to agree. Pain certainly wasn't prodding the beast awake, nor had noise or physical handling of the body. They'd even pried open the eyelids and shone the bright beam of a pair of lanterns directly into the eyes. The pupil had responded, constricting to a tiny slit, and the eyes had begun to weep bloody tears, but the eye itself had done nothing but stare straight ahead.

Frustrating.

And really, he could use an evening off himself. It meant time to write down exactly what had occurred, to look over his notes from his other vampiric experiences, perhaps a few telegrams off to others knowledgeable about the beasts (though there were damn few of those). Yes. This might succeed, and if not, he'd have that observation to place in his notes as well.

It didn't take long to establish the schedule for the next night. A feeding at dusk, then watching the vampire in shifts of two for the remainder of the evening. A check on its condition at least every half hour, but no attempts to wake it. Since they were only watching it, Abraham felt confident he could bring in a few additional people, ones that might well be interested in studying vampires, to spell his more and more reluctant assistants. Mina and Johnathan were willing to stay a bit longer, but Seward was fretting over his patients and Arthur need to get home and fulfill his Lordly duties for a bit, they'd been neglected long enough and he did have an enormous estate to run.

And so, the vampire was left to sleep undisturbed for the scant time remaining in the night. Tomorrow night, too, he'd be left alone. Abraham simply hoped it was enough to wake the vampire up; he'd already waited long enough and there were so many, many things he wished to try. 


	6. Chapter 6

Possess, Chapter 6 (Sensory deprivation causes severe hallucinations, often bizarre. Dracula is certainly experiencing this effect! Though, unlike a human, he is able to extract his "self" from his body and limit the input, both real and false, that he receives. Hope that explains a bit!)

There had been pain, yes. Dracula was aware that his body had been tormented. Perhaps. For a time it had also seemed to be rocking in a boat, and once he felt the tiny delicate touches of a thousand or more centipedes crawling across his body. They could all be true impressions, no matter how bizarre, or they could all be false, mere hallucinations from the lack of stimulus. But there was one constant sensation that had remained steady this entire time. He was fed, recovered. His body would occasionally indicate that he was still starving, but those indications were fleeting and varied in intensity. The overall impression that he was fed remained.

And the impressions of pain had gone, too; the ones that remained were so odd and conflicting that he was almost certain they were unreal.

Was he truly fed? Healed? To feed him, they would have had to open the coffin. Was he released? They didn't appear to be injuring him, abusing his body; he wasn't certain they ever actually had. Perhaps...perhaps he should wake, and look? He whimpered to himself, trapped in his mind. No, no, no, nononono...the coffin, he could still be imprisoned, starved, deprived and pained.

And he could be fed, released, saved.

He fretted, and pondered, as unknown time went by, and his body continued to tell him that he was no longer starved, no longer in pain.

Was it? Could it? Maybe? His mind whirled, wanting desperately to leave this void and resume existence, but terrified of what he might find. He forced calm on himself, reminding himself that no matter how terrible it was...if he were truly still starved and exhausted, he could return to the stasis he had achieved. The suffering, the fear, would be there, the horror of the experience, but this would be temporary. He mentally paced...he'd already experienced too much of this, been broken too badly. He could stay hidden away forever...

And that thought terrified him as much as the agony of waking again to find himself still trapped in his coffin.

Were he still in possession of his body, his voice, he would have wailed. Instead, he gathered the ragged remnants of his courage, and followed those dim signals to regain his body.

x x x x x x

The pain...was gone. And he could hear, faintly, the slightest sounds of humans. A voice, muffled and unintelligible, another one answering. No more than he'd heard while trapped away in the coffin. Was his still there, still contained? He opened his eyes, cautious and worried, and only darkness met his eyes. Not the absolute darkness of his coffin...he was in a room of some kind. A few blinks, and he forced his eyes to focus on the ceiling above him. There was a tracery of silver on it, lines, a plaque...it was too much. They moved about above him, twisting in his eyes. He had been too long without sight, he could make no sense of them, and they writhed like snakes, painful to his long-deprived eyes. He quickly shut his eyes. Later, he'd open them later, for now, he reveled in the relief and joy of no longer being imprisoned by his coffin and his mind.

He could hear very, very little...his vision was too raw, too abused. No breeze crossed his skin, he felt nothing but the same coffin he'd been in for so long. Scent, what could he smell?

A deep inhalation caused his nostrils to flare, his eyes to water, and he found himself choking. Oh, it burned! The shock and pain caused him to gasp, and the pain spiked mercilessly. Had he been bathed in ammonia? The scents were overwhelmingly strong, painfully so, and he flailed about in agony. An arm collided with the edge of his coffin, and the sudden line of pressure, a sensation he had not felt in so many months, caused the nerves of his arm to respond...the pain raced up his arm, crushing his chest. He panicked, flailing in agony for a few moments more until he realized that he needed to LIE STILL.

It was hard not to gasp from the pain, but Dracula managed to control this, freezing the breath in his throat and chest, stopping the influx of any more of the pungent air. His body stilled, vibrating with tension, fought to motionlessness. Changing shape took exquisite and absolute control of his body, and he used that control now, forcing himself to lie still, not to breath again.

And...it worked. No longer overloaded, no longer overwhelmed with the sudden sensations after so long without, his pain eased. The air in his nostrils, unmoving, remained, letting him acclimate to the scents it bore. His arm, nestled back beside him in his coffin, his hands resting safely at his side, they ceased to scream at him that he was injured, burning, submerged in icy water; they rested and slowly regained their comfortable numbness.

He was so frightened. He wanted to pant in his fear, to curl up, to keen and scream in pain, but knew that to do so would simply hurt him more.

So instead, he lay quietly. Feeling nothing more, seeing and hearing nothing more than he had...and he thought. What had happened?

It had to be like the pins-and-needles sensation a human might get. It was the only thing that logically made sense. He'd been numb, the sudden restoration of feeling and other senses had been overwhelmingly painful when it occurred. He had to take it slowly.

For now, scent. He kept the air in himself, letting the burning in his nose and chest ease as he adjusted to having the different odors available. What was he smelling?

Dampness. Rock, so much he felt buried under a mountain of it. Humans, so strongly that he felt smothered in a mass of them. Burning oil. Most likely a lantern, but seeming more like a burning lake of fire, so strong was it. Metal, so much metal. Iron perhaps, definitely silver, maybe more. Other scents, too, but these overwhelmed them. He lay silently, eyes closed, letting his body recover and adjust to the new sensations, the new scents. 


	7. Chapter 7

Possess Ch 7 (Thanks everyone for the reviews...they are definitely the reason another chapter showed up tonight! I permit anon reviews, and advice, suggestions, feedback, etc. are always welcome. Thanks again!)

He was coping, slowly but certainly. He could smell, now, had realized that the scents were because humans had been in the room, and that he was likely underground or enclosed by thick stone walls. How recently the humans had been present, he could not tell. They could have left moments before he woke, or weeks ago. He'd been fed, so concluded it had to have been in the last day or so. His throat and nose no longer felt so raw, so abraded, but were functioning.

what to do next? The thought of the pain that any movement, opening his eyes, would create caused him to stay very still. He wanted to whimper, all pride long since gone, but fear of the pain stopped him. He'd been hurt before, yes. Tortured, raped, abused, starved. As a vampire, he had been staked, burned, injured as he defended his lands and family from holy hunters. The pain he had already experienced at the hands of Van Helsing and now, as he recovered, was as bad as anything that had ever occurred. His eyes...they had burned but it was nothing like the pain his body had given to him. Slowly and carefully, they opened.

The ceiling still twisted above him, sometimes seeming to swoop down at him, lunging at his coffin, and other times extending a phenomenal distance above. He had no means of determining distance, no more than he could determine the true strength of the scents. The shapes turned and rolled, and the sensations were making him ill. Dracula closed his eyes, resting briefly, before opening them again.

So intent was he on regaining sight that he was neglecting hearing.

x x x x x x

Nearly dawn. The vampire had remained motionless all night according to the reports he'd reviewed upon waking. Time for one last check, and this one would be conducted in person by Abraham. Irate at the continued failure of the vampire to wake and respond, Abraham shoved the door open harder than usual. It slammed back against the wall after a deafining creak, and swung heavily shut behind him as Abraham unlocked the second door. Picking up the lantern, he opened the door-

And the screams began.

x x x x x x x

The NOISE! It was deafening, incredible, and Dracula cringed in the coffin. The movement, slight though it was, set his skin on fire and he nearly yelped. And then on top of this pain, his eyes were suddenly ablaze, light scorching and burning him through the skin of his eyelids. A thundering sound approached him, heartbeat? Footsteps? Dazed, his mind cracked, feeling himself immersed to burn in a fire, at the mercy of a giant or a firestorm from the sheer volume of the noise. Panicking, he screamed, the noise and the sensations of the scream ripping away his awareness.

He was nothing BUT pain, intense and penetrating.

x x x x x x

Abraham nearly dropped his lantern, then rushed to look at the vampire. It was arched in the coffin, head and heels touching, the rest suspended in a rictus of agony. The shrieking had ceased, all muscles seeming contracted and contorted. Bloody tears ran from the beast's clenched eyes as the mouth stretched wide, gleaming fangs on display. It began to thrash, then, flinging itself from side to side, and the screaming resumed, the sound of a creature in great agony.

Abraham was astounded; what was happening? He looked closely, careful to stay out of the vampire's reach, to see absolutely nothing in the coffin that could be causing this distress. He set the lantern down, it thudding to the floor as he lunged toward's the beast's arms, trying to pin them, to hold it down, only to be flung halfway across the room as the vampire twisted and writhed.

Behind him, racing steps and shouting voices. Within moments, the Harkers and Seward had joined him, stopping to stand and stare at the convulsing vampire beside him.

"Leave, now." Abraham's worried eyes turned towards the vampire. "I don't know what's causing this. And I don't know what he'll do next. Quickly, out of the room." He herded them out the doors, locking both tightly behind him. Clustered in the hall, Seward began to speak, and Abraham hushed him, listening intently to the vampire's agony in the cell he had been consigned to.

The noise level slowly abated, breaking down from screams to sobs, then quieting further. Grabbing their lanterns, the quartet carefully and slowly opened the doors, moving into the dark room. The vampire was entirely soundless, and they crept to the coffin carefully, weapons clenched tightly in their hands. The vampire didn't respond, and Abraham lifted the lantern to take a closer look at the beast's face.

Instantly the face spasmed, the head arcing painfully back and the monster screaming in agony. Seward's face suddenly flashed into comprehension, and he pulled at Abraham's arm, calling to him to leave. As soon as Seward spoke, the vampire's pain obviously spiked, and he jerked and began to shriek endlessly, shrilly, in agony.

"What...how..." Abraham could do nothing but stare at his charge, bewildered by its behavior. He yielded to Seward's tugs, following the others out of the room with a few puzzled glances at the thrashing beast. The doors clicked behind them, then the monster was left to the cold, dark, and silent tomb of his prison.

x x x x x x x

"Sensory deprivation." Seward's cool and collected voice put a name on the horror they'd just experienced. "It's been observed in prisoners and is a reason that solitary confinement is so very effective a punishment. Contained in his coffin, he had no light, no fresh air, nothing to see or smell. His hearing was likely quite diminished as well, and while he could initially move, we all saw the damage he'd received. Once he was unable to move, he lost yet another sense." Seward took a large drink of brandy, far too much alcohol for far too early in the morning, but no one was about to gainsay him. "I've got two patients that came to me from prisons where they'd been confined alone. Their behavior had lost them almost all their priviledges. One is essentially comatose, entirely unresponsive. The other has broken his mind. He clearly hallucinates, carrying on conversations and responding to people and situations that simply do not exist."

Abraham nodded. Yes, he'd never even considered the mental well-being of the beast. He had simply wanted to bring it back to England, revive it, and study it. Once he knew that it was physically contained and secure he hadn't worried any further. Had he broken it permanently?

"John, do you expect he'll recover?"

Seward shrugged hopelessly. "I don't know. There's not much literature on observing lunatics created from these situations. Usually, they simply went from prison to an asylum." Reaching into a pocket, John pulled out a pad and pencil. "Explain to me what occurred when you went into the cell." His eyes fixed on Abraham, waiting for the information.

After a long description, questions, and discussions, John seemed slightly heartened. "So, he was silent still when you opened the door, despite the noise. He didn't begin to scream until the lantern light reached him? And when we re-entered the room, he was silent again until the light struck him." A brief pondering of this evidence. "I think the light dazzled him, rather like being in a dark theater then walking out into a glaring winter day with the sun bright on the ice. He seemed able to cope with the sound as long it was relatively quiet. The door was clearly not so, but when we were in the hall afterwards, he should have been able to hear us." A smile up at Abraham. "I do suspect he'll recover, because he could handle the noise, just not the light. Leave him to rest today, feed him while he's unconcious. Make noise outside his cell after dark, not loud, but there; walk past it, perhaps speak quietly. We want to revive his senses slowly. Leave a candle or lantern in the hallway. It will let a small amount of light into his cell via the windows, but a minimal amount."

Seward nodded to himself. "Yes, a slow revival. I'd like to stay tomorrow, taking notes on the process. This might have applications for humans."

Abraham chafed at the delay. It could be days, weeks, before his vampire was usable. But then again, it appeared his new property would recover; much better than it being permanently broken. If would have been nearly impossible to determine what was an effective weapon against vampires and what wasn't when the vampire was screaming in pain continually. Still, this was good news, good news indeed, and he agreed with Seward's analysis of the situation.

"John, I will say that I am very, very pleased that you did not follow Arthur off and return to work today." He smiled at the younger man, practically beaming. "As soon as the sun rises, would you like to go down with me to see if he is sleeping during the day? I'd like to feed him late in the afternoon, shortly before dark."

"Abraham, it might be wise to feed him earlier. We've seen that blood heals him; if he injured himself, a speedy healing might help. It might also encourage greater recovery during the day."

A bit nonplussed at having his wishes contradicted but once again finding himself in full agreement with John's advice, Abraham nodded. A light breakfast for everyone, then once the sun was well into the sky, a trip down to see the vampire and feed it. Fresh blood had arrived from the hospital yesterday, nowhere near the seven gallons given by the multiple hospitals, but more than two quarts. The beast would have a good meal. And then they'd see what happened. 


	8. Chapter 8

Possess 8

(yes, a cliffie. But it's late and I don't have time for more :)

Dracula opened his eyes with caution. He didn't want a repeat of the night before, but after lying quietly for several minutes, he'd heard nothing but slight rustlings and muffled heartbeats. His hearing was improving; he judged that the sounds were not in the room with him, though not far removed. A few cautious sniffs also revealed no nearby scents, thought it was clear that people had been in the room already.

He cringed, realizing that he'd been unaware and vulnerable, coffin open, body exposed, and a frisson of fear ran cold fingers up his spine. But he hadn't been injured, and he could taste blood in his mouth, they had fed him while he slept. Dracula hadn't really been aware that was possible. He'd never really been fed before, he'd always hunted his own meals. Interesting, that, and then he realized that the cringe had not been painful. And his now-open eyes were focusing evenly on the ceiling, now appearing at a normal distance from him assuming his coffin was placed on the floor.

Watching the ceiling closely for several minutes, he became aware that there was a source of light. Long, slender rectangles stretched from one side of his field of view to the other, lighter areas of the ceiling. Faint rectangles, but very clear to vampiric eyes. There was light, then, but no so much as to be painful.

He was definitely recovering. Sight, sound, scent, all were meaningful now, none of them painful or sick-making. And his slight movement earlier had also been painless. A few moments of rest, and then Dracula deliberately moved his arm, lifting his hand and placing it on the edge of the coffin. Also painless, even if overly-sensitive to the rough wood of the edge and overly-numb along the remaining length. But painless.

"Awake now, are you?" The cold and clear voice boomed in the silent room and Dracula jerked in fear away from it, slamming his body into the hard side of his coffin. He knew that voice. Oh, he knew it. Van Helsing. The man he'd begged, pleaded with, the man that had put him through weeks of misery and agony and torture, the man that had killed his family, barred his castle, and hauled him off to England as property.

A few months ago, Dracula would have responded with absolute rage. A few months ago, he had not been broken. Now, all he felt was fear. While he knew that he was far stronger than a mere human, THIS human inspired pure terror. He was entirely at this man's mercy, and the man had already demonstrated that he had none. The vampire froze, eyes wide, rigid and tense with terror, and listened to the heavy footsteps of the man approaching him.

x x x x x x x

Abraham had been waiting in the small room formed by the two doors, the inner door opening into the vampire's chamber. A pair of candles in the hallway lit the room very dimly, shining light through the barred windows high in the wall. The room itself was almost entirely black to his eyes, but he'd allowed time for his eyes to adjust, arriving well before sunset. A lantern at his feet, wick trimmed low and with a wide shade over the top, lit the floor without adding appreciably to the light in the room. It was very dark, but the vampire's hand was very white and even in the blackness of the room, it was visible as a ghostly form. The monster had made no sound.

Time to see if noise would set it off again. Abraham rather expected that the volume of his voice would case the vampire to become upset, but there was only one way to find out, after all. Seward and the Harkers waited in the hallway. Arthur was on his way and the butler would bring him down as soon as he arrived. Everyone was armed, so even if the vampire should prove able and willing to attack, he'd find himself hampered by his restraints and quickly disabled by the troupe of humans. Taking a deep breathe, Abraham spoke.

"Awake now, are you?"

A suddenly scuffling sound and a muffled thud, and the hand had disappeared. 


	9. Chapter 9

ch 9 Abraham strode towards the coffin, confidence in every heavy fall of a foot. Behind him, the others crowded at the windows and door, raising lanterns in an attempt to see exactly what Abraham was doing, worried and frightened for his well-being. He was far too concerned with enforcing his control over the vampire now that it was awake, as soon as possible.

x x x x x x

The man was approaching, and Dracula shrank back into his coffin. He fought not to pant, not to cry, not to show any sign of the pure terror he was experiencing. It had been so very, very long since he'd experienced even fright, and now he was nearly mindless with panic. But not entirely mindless, and caution and wisdom told him that he should not reveal just how frightened he was to another predator.

And if Abraham was anything, he was the most powerful and precise predator a human had ever been.

But the light brightened, burning his eyes and forcing them closed, and fear forced his lips from his fangs. He knew he was acting like a frightened animal, trying to bluff away another predator, but his lips curled up no matter what he tried. No matter how terror constricted his throat, he managed a warning growl, trying to keep Van Helsing away, keep the man back. He was still too easily dazzled, too easily overcome, his body too numb, there was no means of escape.

And like any frightened and cornered animal, he found himself growling and baring his fangs, though the burning light caused his eyes to clench tightly shut.

x x x x x

Abraham loomed over his vampire, very deliberately enforcing his power over the prone monster. He half-expected the creature to lunge at his throat, and with a sort of smirking anticipation, waited for the vampire to learn just what those bands on its body could inflict. He narrowed his eyes in a glare, the bright light falling on the beast's face to show the eyes clenched tightly shut. The light must still be much too bright. But the mouth was open, teeth bared in threat, and the monster growled in warning and clear threat.

This would not do. The beast needed to learn its place, and quickly. Abraham had brought a tool for that, a riding crop that he'd taken time to wrap silver around the tip of, dull and unlikely to break skin, but capable of raising a stinging welt. Without hesitation, he pulled it from his belt and snapped it across the monster's face.

x x x x x

PAIN! Drawing on the experience of trapped predators everywhere, Dracula tried to escape, with a lunge and noise to startle the threatening, more powerful predator away. It was a tactic that had worked for alley cats for ages; a loud scream and leap at the human tormentor, a slash, and then a panicked fleeing while the human staggered back in shock and alarm. Dracula lunged up at where the human most likely was, having no intention of actually harming him and drawing more danger upon himself, just desperate to make the man back away. A snarling roar and snap, followed immediately by a twist and racing away.

x x x x x

With a roar of his own due to surprise, Abraham threw up an arm. His only coherent thoughts were a flash of panic that he'd be ghouled or killed, followed by a stab of shocked wonder that the bracelets and collar he was so proud of had been so entirely ineffective. The lantern was flung out of his hand in his reflexive shielding of his self, and shattered, rolling on the floor. The room dropped into darkness, and Abraham expected the vampire' fangs to meet his skin, concealed in the darkness, at any moment.

His companions did not lack for courage. Almost as soon as the lantern crashed, the door slammed open, and they raced in, lanterns and weapons in hand. Abraham had turned to the door, intending to race out, and with the new light spun back around, eyes searching for the vampire.

The beast was crouched in the corner, screaming at him in rage, teeth bared. The most damaged boot was almost entirely off its foot, leaving a foot with only scraps of stocking, and as Abraham watched the vampire's shifting brought that bare skin against a line of silver. Shrieking, eyes wide and panting for breath between threatening screams, the vampire jerked his foot back. Doing so drove his back and arms against the wall. The wall, with the mortar containing holy water and Host. The beast ricocheted off the wall, screaming again in agony, then darted across the floor. The distinct odor of burned flesh filled the room as the foot and hands met more silver lines during Dracula's frantic scramble. The beast crammed himself back into a second corner, only to fling himself forward wailing in pain as his back and arms burned on the wall.

No matter how he landed or moved, some part of the vampire kept touching the silver or the walls, and his frantic scrambling became a high-speed traverse of the room, almost invisible to the watchers. Abraham had been furious at the beast's intransigence and aggression, and his rage and own aggression faded to a smug amusement as he watched the clearly panicked, half-blind vampire dart about the room, scrambling desperately for a hiding place. The floor burned it, the walls burned it, and the silver and the holy lettering about the door drove it back as it attempted to escape. The shrieks had changed to piteous wails as the clearly mindless beast tried with desperate instinct to escape.

Dracula was clearly too panicked to even realize that only the silver on the floor burned him and that most of the floor was safe, or that all the walls were going to burn him when touched, and he was accumulating burns and bruises at an astonishing rate. The second boot had joined the first, torn loose by the sheer force of the vampire's revolutions about the room. He was almost too fast to see, and panting and wailing in panic. The eyes, Abraham noted when the vampire was still long enough to see, were barely cracked open, streaming bloody tears.

Enough was enough. While a human or normal beast would exhaust itself quickly, a vampire did not have such limitations and Abraham did not intend to spend the night watching a banshee racket about the room. Instead, he herded the others out into the hallway, leaving a pair of lanterns in the room for light so that the vampire's behavior could be safely observed from the hallway.

x x x x x x

Once they were in the hallway, doors safely locked, Abraham let loose the laugh he'd been holding in. Bent down, hands on knees, he howled with laughter, trying to compose himself, but every time he came close, he saw the vampire's ridiculous careening about the tiny room, its clear terror and panic, and another laugh bubbled out.

Finally pushing himself upright, he saw the nonplussed looks on his companions faces, and took a deep breath, forcing out the explanation between his body's gasping attempts to continue laughing. "And WE were frightened of HIM!"  
> <p>


	10. Chapter 10

I really hadn't intended to publish this. It's been written in bits and drabbles over the last week, purely for my own enjoyment, with no audience but myself in mind, so it's a bit different from the other works I've put out there. For instance...no chapter breaks and some odd word choices. But I'd shared it via email and people had loved it, so I'm going to go ahead and post it. And no, I have NOT updated the other stories. If you're inclined to whine about it, read the profile, which has not changed in months and explains. So for the handful of entitled whiners, kwitcherbitchin. For everyone else, I do hope you also enjoy :)

ch 10

Several minutes passed, the vampire rocketing about the room frantically, accumulating burns and scrapes as the party of humans watched through the barred windows. The pair of lanterns lit the room dimly but clearly until the vampire knocked one over. The lantern didn't break, but it rolled across the floor, the loud and hollow rattle and bang as the metal lid and base crossed the stone driving the vampire into a renewed frenzy, pained wails increasing as it scrambled about the room.

"He's still overly sensitive to the noise." Abraham's whisper reached Seward's ears, and the man nodded his agreement, astonished eyes fixed on the vampire. The rolling lantern, with its flickering wick, came to rest on the spilled oil from the lantern Abraham had dropped. With a "whoosh" the oil caught, and the flames flared up, lighting the room to a nearly-daylight brightness.

The vampire reacted with even more panic, though all the watching humans would have happily sworn this was not possible. Ignoring the terrible burns it caused, screaming, the vampire lunged at the walls, scrambling and scratching them in desperation. Mina winced, pointing out the great streaks of blood as the vampire tore his fingers apart in his fit of fear and agony. As he turned from that wall, smoke rose from the tattered and broken remains of his fingers and bloody tears leaked from his tightly clenched eyes.

"And overly light-sensitive, too." Dracula had found the inner door, and it slammed on its sturdy hinges as the vampire yanked and tore at it, hands burning and bleeding. But the door had been made to withstand such abuse, and while the others backed away, Abraham simply stood and watched the door, frowning.

The vampire shouldn't be able to attempt an escape; the bands were meant to prevent that. As the vampire wailed and moved on to another wall, brightly lit by the fire, Abraham considered this.

The bonds weren't meant to damage the vampire without it deliberately disobeying. The only thing it could not do, whether it wanted to or not, was attack Abraham. Deliberate disobedience would result in pain...but the vampire had never been told it had to stay in the room. And so his attempts to leave the room weren't causing the expected punishment to be inflicted. The wards around the door were pushing it away and burning the beast, but the collar and light shackles were inactive.

Worrisome, that his new prize would be out of his control until it was able to comprehend the restrictions and requirements Abraham forced on it. It was an excellent thing, Abraham mused, that he'd made that room so very thoroughly reinforced against the vampire, or they could have a crazed bloodsucker loose in the basement! He'd like to throw some sand on the oil and put out the flames, but there was far too great a risk that the vampire would escape or that Abraham himself would be injured.

And so he simply stood in the hallway, watching the flames burn lower as the oil was consumed. It was several minutes before the vampire's frantic racing about slowed down, becoming more of a blind stumble, and several more minutes before it tripped over its coffin. As the humans watched, rapt, the vampire crouched by its coffin, wails and shrieks changing to confused and miserable moans. The silvered floor was scorching a foot, the bone gleaming through the tattered and bloody flesh, and after a moment the vampire registered that this was occurring. It rocked back a bit, shuffling about, finding a position where it could crouch braced against the coffin while not touching the walls or the silver lines on the floor.

It quieted further, offering nothing more than little gasps of pain. The battered, burned, bloody hands were lifted and buried in its hair as the vampire began to rock blindly to and fro, moaning and keening to itself in soft misery, huddled against the coffin. The flames died lower, leaving only a dim blue flicker and the remaining lamp to light the room as the curious and horrified humans watched the pathetic display.

It was Mina who realized how poor the air had become. The basement was enormous, but the air was old and stale. The flames had rapidly used up an enormous quantity of the breathable air, and smoke was clinging to the ceiling of the vampire's chamber and curling into the hallway. Her husband had begun to cough, and the hacking noise was causing the vampire to keen louder. The party stumbled through the thickening smoke and up the stairs, leaving the vampire along in the dim smokey basement.

x x x x x

Sitting in Abraham's study, still a bit shocked at the vampire's behavior, they discussed what had occurred and what it meant.

"He didn't attack me." Abraham was very firm on this. "The bonds I put on him would absolutely have damaged him if he'd done so; he was threatening." A small smirk. "In fact, I suspect he was completely bluffing and already frightened." A few minutes passed while the others considered this, then Mina asked why the vampire had done so.

"Frightened. And, thinking he was more coherent than he was and not being aware that he was simply bluffing, I used this on him." The silvered riding crop landed on the table with a muffled thud as the heavy metal tip smacked down, then rolled slightly as they watched it. "I want him under my control and obedient as quickly as possible. He threatened me, I punished him." A chuckle. "It wasn't exactly the response I'd expected, I'll give him that!"

Seward spoke up then as well. "He's still being overwhelmed by the noise and light, though he's recovered far better than the human patients did. I believe we ought to leave him be. It's going to take him some time to recover himself, and the light and smoke plus the physical damage are more than enough stimulation!" A sigh, as he pondered his unusual "patient." "You need to take it slowly with him. Remember, the men were not only suffering physically as they adjusted to stimulation, but their minds are broken. Even after he can handle the visual and aural stimuli, he might remain a moron."

The conversation wound on a bit more, as the shock of the vampire's panicky behavior wore off. Eventually, the others went to their beds, leaving Abraham alone in his office. He simply stared at the wall, thinking. Yes, the vampire should be left alone to recover. But was it healing? There was nearly a gallon of blood waiting for it in the icebox. The vampire was his responsibility, and while he'd willingly punish it, his mind kept pressing at him the images of the bloody vampire, bones showing through the skin of the feet, the bloody and glistening wrecks of its hands, the piteous, shivering, huddled wretch they'd left behind. And the smoke, too...the vampire didn't need to breath, it hadn't suffocated in its coffin despite weeks of confinement, but it was certainly taking in air to make its cries and noises. What was the effect of the smokey air on the beast?

Pondering, he waited, hearing everyone else going to their beds, then silence fill the house as he sipped his drink and considered. He wrote down his notes and thoughts and observations, reading and rereading them as he debated and considered again.

Finally, he rose, heading to the basement with a brief detour to pick up the containers of blood.

X X X X X

The basement door still stood, propped open, fresh air slowly displacing the clouded smokey fog of the lower level. Over the last few hours, the smoke had clearly settled substantially. The air was slightly dimmed by it, but Abraham was relieved to see that the lantern he carried cut a bright swath through the dark. He also carried a few small candles, ones that were made of a dense, heavy wax and should burn for hours, well into morning. Dimmer than the lantern, but still able to provide some light for the vampire. Abraham was loathe to drop the beast back into pitch blackness, but after having two lanterns broken, he was equally loathe to have any more destroyed. But a candle should help the vampire become accustomed to light without the strain of the bright flames of a lantern. And candles didn't shatter and scatter glass across the floor, or spill oil, either.

Pausing outside the door, Abraham peered through the high, narrow windows. The lantern in the room had gone completely out with no one to adjust the wick or replenish the fuel. The vampire was soundless, invisible in the dark. The first candle was placed in a window and lit, and Abraham was able to peer into the cell and see the faint outline of his beast.

He was probably a fool for taking on the vampire with no one else around, but this was his prize, and he wanted his own time to gloat over it and enjoy it in private. The vampire was so terrified, and the room so secure, and the bonds should be effective...Abraham was normally very brave, and this knowledge had him nearly fearless. And so, he opened the hall door, locking it behind him, then opened the inner door...leaving himself exposed to the vampire, alone, with no backup, no protection, and only the dim light of a single candle and the low wick of his lantern.

And, as he'd expected, the vampire had remained where they'd left him. As Abraham watched, he continued to rock slowly back and forth, hunched over, hands (or, really, their remnants) buried in his hair, face completely hidden from view. He'd stopped crying at some point, and as Abraham approached slowly, he could hear the faint rasp, rasp, rasp as the vampire's movement caused it to brush gently across the side of the coffin. The vampire looked terrible. The wounds had healed over, but the burn marks still looked raw, and the feet were a bloody mess smeared over raw, pink scars. The hands, what little he could see through the tangled gray hair, were still shattered though skin now covered the bones.

It was an entirely pitiable scene. Even remembering the vicious, cruel, horrible atrocities the monster had committed, Abraham couldn't help but feel a trace of pity. Was that creature gone, replaced by a mindless, drooling husk? He crouched down by the vampire, getting no response, no recognition. Placing the bottles on the floor caused them to clink inside the small wire basket, and the vampire gave a head-to-toe jerk, thudding against the coffin. Even so, the head remained bowed, and after a brief pause, the rocking resumed. The lantern followed, its slight metallic click on the floor causing a brief jerk but no stopping of the steady rocking.

"Definitely overreactive to sound." Abraham mused a bit, watching the beast, then pulled out a bottle and removed the lid. Taking a deep breath, he scooted closer to the monster, catching its head as it rocked back, and in one swift move lifting it up to reveal the haggard face, then pressing the bottle to the slack mouth.

x x x x x x

Blood. There was blood again. And pain, so much pain. Noise, there had been noise, and light...and there was confusion. He remembered the man, and the threat, and the stinging, welting, burning pain on his face. And then burning, everywhere, unable to escape it, unable to see, unable to make sense of what had happened, where he was. The comfort of his coffin, though he couldn't bring himself to climb inside it again, but only to crouch beside it.

And then time had passed. His sense of time was normally incredibly precise and accurate, and now he could only sense that time had passed. Minutes, hours...probably not days. Maybe a day? But there was blood, and as he swallowed his thoughts cleared. Healing, he was healing. As the agony receded, his mind cleared, the fog of pain slowly lifting. Oh, hungry, he was so hungry! Instead of mindless swallowing, he found himself sucking at the bottle, nearly crying in loss when his efforts resulted in nothing, and the bottle was removed. How did he know it was a bottle? It made sense, he decided...cold, smooth surface, rounded, containing so much blood. Perhaps a large, thin glass, most likely a bottle. And gone.

Before he could cry his loss, it pressed back against his lips, and he drank again. The cold blood hit his stomach, almost painful in its chill, so unlike the hot, fresh, spicey blood of a live human, but still blood, still food. No longer so hungry, stomach nearly full, he slowed his drinking from desperate gulping to a more considered, steady pace. A pause, while his stomach moved the nutrients into his body, making room for another thoughtful swallow. When the bottle emptied, he was still somewhat peckish, but not starved, no longer mindless. More would be nice...but he'd had enough.

Licking his lips, swallowing the last traces from his mouth, he considered. He was almost too frightened to do this, but he also needed to know, to see...and so, head tilted up, he cautiously opened his eyes, peering up to see the humans. Oh, he hoped they would not hurt him again. A shudder. So much pain already, so sudden, so confusing. Please, no more...a soft whimpering pleading whine...and then his eyes came into focus.

And looming mere inches from him was the man who'd broken him. Abraham Van Helsing. Smirking down at him as he found himself cowering away from the human who'd outthought him, out-fought him, and then thoroughly, remorselessly, and ruthlessly broken him.

x x x x x x x

Red eyes blinked up at him, squinting slightly in the lantern light, dazed. The gaze sharpened, focusing in on his face, and then the vampire tensed in fear. Abraham smirked in pleasure; the vampire clearly had some sort of mind left, had recognized him and reacted with fear. Excellent. It wasn't running away, though it was leaning away from him, watching him warily as the various injuries slowly healed further. The hands, still tangled in the hair but now limp and relaxed, were healing slowly. Hard to see, yes, but the bones were slowly shifting about. Vampire healing was astonishing, and Abraham looked forward to learning just how the bones were shifted into the correct position. The muscles certainly weren't doing it; some of those bone fragments had no muscle attached to them. Curious, he reached for the hand to inspect it more closely, and as soon as he moved...the vampire's eyes slammed shut and the hands clenched. It must have been very painful, but they curled up in the hair anyways. The head dipped down a bit, and the vampire moaned softly in his fear.

So much fear. Abraham wasn't certain just why the vampire thought him so very terrible, but then again, the vampire had undoubtedly been horrifically cruel to any prisoners he'd taken. And now that he was a prisoner, Dracula was likely fearing the very worst. Touching him would likely send him back into a hysterical fit, and so Abraham pushed his curiousity back down and leaned away from the vampire. Time to explain the situation to his new possession.

"You are no longer Dracula, no longer powerful and free. You are property, to do with as I please. At best, you may earn a place as my servant. For now, you are a thing, a prize, and one I intend to study." He stopped, watching the vampire for any signs of comprehension. The creature had startled when he began to speak, but now only stared at him with worried red eyes. And not a hint of understanding. No anger, no reaction... "Vampire, do you know who I am?" No response. "Do you know where you are?" The same unchanging, scared look. "Can you understand me?" Nothing, and then, just as Abraham was ready to rise and return to his own rooms...the vampire nodded. Slow, and small, but an acknowledgment all the same.

So, his new experimental subject DID understand him, wasn't completely mindless. Abraham didn't even try to control the grin at the realization that the vampire was still usable, hadn't been destroyed. "Excellent. The rules are simple for now. You are to obey me. When I ask you questions, you answer them. When you are given orders, you follow them. You may not leave this room without permission. You are my possession, you no longer have any say in what happens to you or what I chose to do with you. You are not to attack any humans without permission, you are not to attempt to frighten anyone. Not even in self defense. You have no rights. For now, you may sleep in your coffin and will be fed regularly. If I choose, this will change." A pause, while Abraham watched the vampire's face. There was confusion there, and the eyes were no longer clearly focused on Van Helsing as the vampire's brain clearly processed the information he was receiving, face becoming lax at the effort of cognition. Clearly, the beast was not as his best yet. After a minute or more had passed, the face reanimated, becoming frightened again, worried as the red eyes returned to focus on Abraham.

"You are sealed into this room, and are to stay here. Attempting to leave without permission will cause you pain. There is silver on the floor; touching those lines will burn you, and touching the walls will burn you." Another pause, as the vampire worked his way through the instructions. After a moment, the red eyes turned to take in the silver diagrams in the floor, then rose back to his Master. "And you are to call me Master when I allow you to speak. For tonight, you will be alone. Do not extinguish the candles. Tomorrow night I will feed you again and you will begin to learn your place." A cruel smile flickered across Abraham's face. He'd waited so long for this moment, and expected the vampire to fight him...and admitted he was anticipating the vampire's response and the punishment in a very unChristian way.

"Do you understand me?" His cold eyes bore into the vampire's. The creature nodded immediately. "Use your voice, damn you." Dracula startled back again, then the mouth opened under those wide, frightened red eyes. The jaw moved, but no sound came out. The vampire looked even more frightened, jaw trembling, tongue lifting in his mouth and then relaxing, and air whooshed in and out with a soft rasping sound. And no answer. He was ordered to speak, and wasn't...and the bonds had to be starting to hurt him. The eyes began to glaze, the breathing speeding up to pants, mouth working frantically. Finally, a creaky moan, an unintelligible gurgle, came out. The vampire hunched forward, eyes screwing shut, a deep mewling sound forming in his throat, teeth clicking together as his jaw rose and fell, lips pursing forward and then drawing back.

When the vampire began to keen, still clearly struggling to speak, clearly suffering, Abraham finally released him. "You may cease answering now." His voice was crisp and chill, and to his surprise his vampire slumped against the coffin, eyes drooping closed and shoulders trembling, breath still rasping in and out but much more quietly. Thoughtfully, Van Helsing observed him and considered. He'd expected the vampire to resist his control, to refuse to call him Master. Instead...it appeared the creature had immediately attempted to obey, but simply couldn't manage the fine motor control needed for speech.

Perhaps tomorrow he'd manage more. Without a single word to his vampire, Abraham rose, scooping up the lantern. Within moments, the two remaining candles were glowing in the darkness, the empty bottles were back in their basket, and Abraham was at the door.

Turning to look, he was unsurprised to see the vampire exactly where he'd been left, hands once again gripping the hair, eyes staring vaguely at the floor, mouth slightly open as the creature...panted. Abraham wondered briefly if the panting was from fear, or pain. He hadn't even realized that vampires ever took in air other than to talk; the air wasn't necessary for their well-being, after all. And yet, his vampire was panting. As with the movement of the tiny bits of bone, this was yet another vampiric mystery that Abraham looked forward to analyzing.

He was almost humming with pleasure as the doors clicked shut behind him, locking his vampire away in the empty, cold, barren room as Abraham returned to the light and warmth of his home.

x x x x x x

The others had NOT been pleased to discover that Abraham had returned to the vampire, alone, at night, after they were asleep. He refused to accept their reprimands, but after a few hours of angry looks and worried, whispered comments, he took them downstairs to see the vampire for themselves.

It was still out of the coffin, slumped beside it, with the right arm draped inside and its head resting on the side. It couldn't possibly be comfortable, and Abraham wondered why it hadn't gone back inside the coffin. It was only a brief surprise, for with a moment of thought, he realized that after being trapped in the coffin for so long, the vampire was not about to crawl back inside it. However, a coffin was absolutely necessary for a deep and recuperative sleep...the beast had gotten as close to the coffin as it could be, without actually being inside. This would have to change, and soon. Abraham did not plan on being gentle with the beast during his research and it would need every bit of recuperation and rest it could obtain.

But, for now, it was clearly still frightened, still weak, so very unthreatening as the tattered beast slumped insensibly against its home, fingers knotted loosely in its hair. As the creature was asleep, several lanterns had been brought, creating a well-lit room. The vampire was easy to see...and clearly filthy. He reeked, too...Abraham leaned over him during the inspection and the soured, crusted blood and filth had formed a stench that Van Helsing was not inclined to tolerate. With hours left until dark, they had plenty of time to prepare a solution for this little problem. Abraham wasn't certain how much the vampire would be able to handle, but expected this to be a decent test of its obedience and recovery.

x x x x x

Dracula woke slowly, tired and sore after a day spent outside his coffin. Not so exhausted as he would have been had he been separated from it entirely, but the effects of the deprivation were still there. Eyes open and staring vaguely at the floor, he fought to process what had happened. Van Helsing...the man had been there. Fed him, though he was still hungry. Abraham had been...possessive. Authoritative. But...the man hadn't hurt him. Fed him, ordered him, then abandoned him, undamaged. What had he said? Ah...Master. A brief shudder, he'd had a Master before, as a human child. It was frightening, awe-inspiring at the level of control the man held over him; to not even be allowed self-defense? Then again, Abraham had been possessive...it was possible the man would protect him, as a prized object. A brief shudder. He had no doubts that Van Helsing would be capable of protecting him, he'd seen how ruthless and powerful the man was.

The silver...yes. Red eyes gazed about the room, lit by the flickering candles. Candles...he could not put them out, though he would have prefered the safety of the darkness. He thought about putting them out anyways, testing Abraham's control, and pain shot through his body. Not severe, no, but a warning nonetheless. He jerked against the side of the coffin, eyes wide in shock, then calmed. So, no. No disobedience. Another brief shudder. Silver on the floor. Looking, he noticed that while the designs were widespread, they were also widely spaced. There was plenty of floor space to stand and sit and not touch the silver. The walls... Rising and stepping over the silver lines, he was stiff, but mobile again, in control of his body. The walls...they seemed simple stone and mortar. Testing, careful, he reached towards them. The merest brush of a finger on the stone stung slightly, but touching the mortar burned. The finger, slightly smoking, jerked away. So, the walls and floor were exactly as Abraham said.

"They'll hold you." Clear and loud, the voice rocked Dracula, and he staggered, falling against the wall. With a gasp, he shoved away from it, slightly burned, looking rapidly about for the source of that voice. There were windows beside the door. High and narrow, maybe a hands-width wide, barred, as long as his arm. And watching him through one of those openings was Van Helsing himself. Swallowing nervously, Dracula backed away. He knew that his Master had said that he would be fed...and then he would "learn his place." English idioms were still puzzling, but he had no doubt that this was an ominous phrase, Abraham had been far too delighted with delivering it. Shivering, he returned to the comfort of his coffin, crouching beside it, dreading what would come.

x x x x x x

He didn't have long to wait. The door swung open, the room brightening considerably as Abraham strode in with a blazingly bright lantern. He winced away, eyes nearly shut from the brightness, waiting subserviently to see what his Master would bid him to do. He was hungry, and hoped for food as well, but with a dull pessimism realized that he was whole and intact now, so food and rest were no longer an immediate need and would likely be withheld. The footsteps, solid and loud and menacing, approached, and Dracula closed his eyes entirely, pressing his body against the coffin, fearing what Abraham would do.

"Open your eyes. Look at me." Dracula forced them open, though they wanted to close, lifted his head from the floor to see Van Helsing. Neck muscles twanged a warning at him, fighting to pull his head back down, to cower away. He vaguely realized that this would have been unthinkable a few months ago.

That was before the coffin. Trapped.

The memory rose up unbidden, causing him to cry out weakly, to huddle on the floor, curled up tightly. And then the pain struck him, for he was no longer watching his Master. Fear and Pain, he tried to escape, to dart away, only to have the pain strike harder. He stretched out on the floor, spasming in agony, trying desperately to escape, to move away, to find a dark corner and conceal himself from the threat. And each attempt brought more pain.

x x x x x x

Abraham frowned down at his new pet. The beast had seemed so cooperative at first, what had happened? Ignoring the slowly rising wails and whimpers, he crouched beside it. The riding crop rested in his hand; he'd meant to show it to the vampire as a warning to mind his behavior, perhaps giving a brief demonstration of its ability to hurt the beast. Instead, the beast was somehow hurting itself. He wasn't certain what had startled it, but it was becoming clear that it couldn't obey the orders, possibly not even remember them. It hadn't been entirely coherent the night before, after all...Damn.

"You may move. You no longer need to look at me." The vampire's rigid form relaxed briefly, then the red eyes opened, glazed and half-aware. The creature rolled over suddenly, pushing off from the floor with a fluid grace and incredible speed, and was somehow in the corner farthest from Abraham. A pair of worried red eyes, half-aware and terrified, gazed at him. Abraham snorted. This timid beast wasn't going to be anywhere near as much fun as he'd hoped. Still, it stank, and there was a remedy waiting. The riding crop went back under his belt, and he unclipped a short coil of braided leather instead.

"Wait there." A blink of the red eyes, a nervous whine quickly shut off, and the vampire stayed motionless as Abraham moved towards it. Leaning down briefly, he snapped the braided leash onto the vampire's collar. He'd really expected a bit of a protest, but the vampire only trembled slightly, silently watching and allowing Abraham to leash him like a dog. Standing, he moved a step away. "Come." A hard tug on the leash, and the vampire fell awkwardly forward, then in a sudden switch turned the awkward sprawl into a smooth rise, standing and stepping towards Abraham.

Abraham scowled. No, this was nowhere near as fun as expected. Keeping a tight grip on the leash, he turned his back to the vampire and moved towards the door. There wasn't even the slightest tug as the vampire ghosted obediently after him.

x x x x x x

Cowed, Dracula followed his Master. He'd seen the riding crop, tipped with hateful silver, tucked into the belt. He'd already experienced the pain of the bindings that Van Helsing had him under as well, and he had no intention at all of giving the man a reason to beat him. He'd probably be beaten anyways, but he'd like to delay it as much as possible. And so he followed close behind his Master, keeping the leash slack. A careful sniff, and the odor of dog rose to meet him.

His Master was truly using a dog leash on him. His spirit, already low, sank a bit farther. And then Van Helsing opened the door, pulling him after, and Dracula balked slightly. He hadn't meant to, but he was so frightened...he knew his room, he was familiar with it, and his coffin was there...now Master was taking him someplace unknown. The cold and rational part of his mind told him that he was simply entering a hallway, but that cold and rational part of his mind had nearly died while trapped in the coffin, and the reactive beast left behind screamed at him in fear.

x x x x x

Unexpectedly, the leash tightened. Abraham turned around, glad to have an excuse to finally beat the vampire a bit, as he longed for, to find it...NOT looking rebellious. Only frightened. A sigh escaped him, for the vampire had already reacted so badly to light and sound and now he was exposing it to new rooms and sights. Novel sensations were probably a bad idea for its stability, but Abraham was determined to get rid of that reek. Instead of snapping the recalcitrant beast with the crop, he forced himself to speak calmly. "Relax, we'll wait a moment until you are ready. It's just a hallway." Desperate, frightened red eyes fixed on him, and he remained still, trying to appear less threatening. After a few moments, the vampire's shoulders rose from their hunched position and it took a tentative step forward, once again putting slack in the leash.

"Good boy." Soothing and calm, much like one would speak to a nervous and piddling spaniel, Abraham moved slowly into the hall, drawing the vampire after him. Then, he stopped, waiting for the vampire to adjust to the new surroundings. He wanted to haul the vampire down the hall after him, but had realized with frustration that force would create fear, and fear would mean a keening, insensible, blubbering monster huddled on the floor.

Damn, damn, DAMN. The beast had better recover. Abraham was not about to put up with this useless sniveling. But for now, he didn't have much of an option.

The vampire's eyes had darted about, shoulders hunched slightly, and he'd shuffled reluctantly closer to Abraham, as though expecting the human to protect him. Odd, that. After only a minute or two, far less time than Abraham had expected, the vampire had relaxed again. Stepping away from him, Abraham was pleased to find the vampire once again following him docilely, not frozen in fear. The basement steps were another issue. Dracula was able to walk, to crawl, but lifting a foot to mount the steps caused him to stumble off-balance and fall forward onto them. A keening frightened wail, and the beast began to scrabble about. The head lifted, and Abraham saw the wild eyes...and the streak of blood on the cut chin. The vampire began to scramble, seeking safety, and Abraham was utterly shocked when the vampire suddenly determined that HE was a source of safety and pushed between the man and the wall.

As the only familiar object, Abraham supposed it was only to be expected that the vampire would latch on to him when frightened. If they'd still been in the vampire's room, it probably would have gone to its corner or clung to the coffin. Absent those crutches, it used him. With yet another sigh at his thoroughly frustrating future research subject, he settled himself down on a step, waiting for the beast to calm. It didn't take long, and when Abraham rose and quietly and slowly began to climb up the stairs, the vampire crawled along behind him.

Getting it through the door at the top of the stairs and into the brightly-lit hallway, full of strange smells, with a carpet, was much more difficult. The vampire froze, on the verge of panicking, eyes wide and mindless. Abraham wanted to beat the frustrating, disappointing monster, but was wise enough to know that taking his frustrations out on the damaged beast would simply mean a chase back to its rooms and a repeat of the ordeal of getting it back to this point. Instead, he sat in the doorway, blocking the vampire from the hallway, letting it hide on the stairway and peer over his legs at the frightening hallway. Back to the doorframe, he rubbed his eyes, frustrated and frazzled at the slow pace and broken nature of his prize.

Prize, hah. He'd expected to have a proud, angry, powerful beast forced to kneel at his feet. He'd anticipated the power he'd have over it, the rage as the evil creature realized it was bound to servitude. His mind had built up a great series of images of what he'd do, how the creature would behave, how he would break it.

And, instead, he had a snivelling, panicking, mute beast that was scared of its own shadow that he had to resist kicking in his anger and disappointment.

Fortunately, the beast had eased back from his panic and was now watching Abraham, apparently waiting to see what Abraham wanted him to do next. Pushing off from the doorframe, Van Helsing stood, then stepped into the hallway, gently drawing the vampire after him. Dracula froze for a moment, eyes tightly shut, body tight and motionless, as he adjusted to being in the brightly lit, open space. But only for a moment, then the red eyes opened again, focusing on Abraham. He followed easily after his Master down the hallway, almost crowding on the man's heels, anxious to stay close by. When Abraham entered the kitchen and stopped, the monster nearly ran into him. It had been so focused on him, eyes fixed on his Master and carefully ignoring the changing scenery about it, that it almost failed to stop in time.

Abraham fought a small smile off his face at the wide-eyed, chagrined expression that flickered across the beast's face. Instead, he waited calmly while the monster began to glance around the room. It kept a wary red eye on him, constantly flicking back to glance at him, maybe wondering what it should do next, maybe worried that Abraham would hurt him, maybe concerned that his Master would leave. Van Helsing didn't know which and really didn't care. He did care when the vampire noticed the steaming tub of water. The eyes fixed, unblinking, on the bath as the vampire clearly considered what it meant. It was a far cry from the quick intelligence it had previously displayed, but at least the mind was functioning, even if at a reduced level.

"Remove all your clothing." Red eyes turned back to him, and then the vampire backed away slowly, eyes unreadable, until the leash was pulled nearly taut. Abraham frowned. The bindings should be causing pain, the vampire had been so obedient, why now the sudden refusal? Yes, definite pain, if the trembling and the tightening of the creature's eyes were any indication. Repeating. "Remove your clothing." The vampire shook harder, beginning to whine from the pain, and the eyes squinted, red tears forming in the corners.

Abraham had no idea why his beast was not cooperating; he'd rather suffer than remove his clothes? What an odd creature. Suddenly, with a jump in his heart, Abraham realized that the vampire might have something concealed under those tattered, filthy clothes that he didn't want his master to find. Something stolen during the slow walk down the hall, perhaps a weapon? Now threatened, Van Helsing rose his voice, commanding the vampire loudly and firmly to remove his clothes.

Instead of obeying, the vampire fell to the floor, keening. Drawing out and opening his pocketknife, eyes blazing and jaw locked with fury, Abraham grabbed the vampire's wrist and ripped the knife through the sleeve fabric. He sawed and tored and yanked, and within moments the screaming vampire was naked on the floor, huddled into a tight ball, absolutely and mindlessly terrified.

And entirely weaponless. No valuables hidden anywhere in the tattered, thin remants of clothes that had become a pile of rags upon the floor. He'd truly expected to find a weapon, a knife, even a sharpened metal stick, SOMETHING dangerous on the creature, and Abraham stared bemused at the terrified and unarmed creature as it rocked and wailed. Damnation. His aggression had destroyed any confidence it had regained in his presence. He was so tempted to grab it by its hair and haul it back downstairs, lock it in the room, and then spend the rest of his life forgetting about this failure. All that effort to capture it, the voyages, racing to the castle, Quincy's death, the preparation of the room...and at the end of it, this weak and wailing, worthless creature was his prize.

It was when the creature went into spams that Abraham suddenly realized he'd given it a command it could no longer follow. He'd told it to remove its clothing. The clothing had been removed by Abraham instead...but for the binding to stop, the monster had to follow the order and remove its clothing. Cursing roundly, Abraham paused, then released the monster with a terse, angry speech. "You no longer need to remove your clothes." The vampire stopped spasming, simply gasping and mewling in the aftershocks of agony. "Silence." Quiet reigned, and Abraham looped the leash end about the bathtub's foot, then went to the small pantry on the side. He had ale and wine in the basement, but there was always a small bottle available upstairs. And damned if he didn't need it.

Sitting on a low kitchen stool, legs outstretched, bottle in hand, he watched his vampire bitterly. Vampire. Bah. Cowardly, nearly mindless, entirely lacking any courage whatsoever, physically so damaged that it had to crawl up the stairs...this was no vampire. This was Failure. And Abraham couldn't abide failure.

And then his vampire did something...amazing. Something he hadn't even suspected it could do. Looking back on it, he should have realized this, for there were no scraps of cloth in the coffin or in the room, despite the tattered and battered state of the creature's clothes. The vampire uncurled enough to glance at the rags remaining on the floor...and...they melted. Melted into a shadow, which moved across the floor to the vampire...and vanished.

Abraham blinked. Had he imagined this? No. The clothes were gone. A look around the room showed them not present anywhere on the floor or the cabinets. He was certain he hadn't fainted or lost himself in a daydream of some bizarre kind, and the vampire would not be able to mesmerize him, the Master, like it might another human. No, difficult as it might be to believe, those clothes had been taken in by the monster.

"How did you do that?" Abraham launched himself from his stool, striding to the monster, looming over it and demanding an answer. A few moments of frozen fear, then the monster began desperately shaking its head, babbling in some foreign language. "English, you idiot. Speak English or don't speak at all. How did you make those clothes vanish? Where are they?" The monster had regained its tongue, Abraham absently noted, actually speaking, but it fell silent upon the command to speak English. The mouth worked, but the mind...the mind clearly could not formulate an answer. And the monster was experiencing pain and moving towards agony, fighting to speak but entirely unable to do so.

Abraham glared, letting the monster spasm and convulse in agony as the pain built and built. Such a fantastic discovery, and the damned creature was too damaged to even speak of it! And then guilt struck him, as he watched the mindless creature arching off the ground again, body rigid with agony. He knew damn good and well the beast wasn't disobeying on purpose, what the hell was he thinking, letting it go through this? "Nevermind." The vampire immediately curled into a ball, hands again fisted in his hair, lying on his side on the floor, face hidden in his knees, shaking...but silent.

Twenty minutes, Abraham thought they'd been in the kitchen perhaps that long. And he'd already reduced the vampire to mindless pain twice and seen an amazing exhibition of powers. He sipped his bitter beer, pondering. Well, the water wasn't getting any warmer, and the vampire seemed to be willing to stay curled in that tight little ball for the foreseeable future. Placing his bottle on the counter with a resounding thud, he rose, scooped up the vampire, and dropped it unceremoniously in the hot water.

x x x x x x x

Heat. Water. Dracula would normally have loathed heat, and vampires and water were only passing acquaintances. But...before he could consider protesting...he realized that it soothed. Soothed. Yes. The heat...eased all the pain and strain from the brief tortures he'd just experienced, unknotting and releasing the tension. Unexpected, this. And the water buoyed him up, easing the compressed and strained joints. Instead of struggling to escape the tub, the vampire found himself...relaxing. Steam wreathed about his face as the dark strands of his hair straggled into the water and he stared vaguely past the surface of the water to the surface of his body.

Bruises blossomed along the skin from his struggles and thrashing, but as quickly as they were forming, they were fading. He was hungry, but not starved, tired but not exhausted, and his body was healing those minor damages. The muscles, unknotting from the heat, were also slowly healing, the tears and strains becoming whole tissue again. Tired, vague, unwilling to focus his attention on anything not superficial, he watched blankly the small changes occurring on his skin and absorbed the heat of the tub. As his body healed, the blood slowly being used, his hunger increased from minor peckishness to true hunger. He continued to stare vaguely, soaking in the hot water.

A hand grabbed his hair, pulling his head back, but immediately Master's face came into view. Master had done this. Master had the right. Obediently, Dracula allowed the man to move him about like a puppet, tilting his head back and then pulling open his mouth. And then Master poured blood in his mouth. Eyes widened in surprise, Dracula sucked it down, feeling the hunger ease immediately.

Abraham rocked back on his heels. "I'd intended to feed you after the bath. However, considering other events of the night, you've gotten your meal early. There will be no more tonight."

x x x x x

The vampire simply stared dully up at him. Abraham found himself frowning. Such an odd beast it was. Odd and filthy. He'd placed the great tub in the kitchen over the drain, wanting the large room to clean the monster and because of the proximity to the basement. There was a bathroom upstairs, but he'd been reluctant to parade the filthy and unpredictable beast through the house until it had been bathed and he'd determined that it would not be a problem in the house. Inititally, he'd been concerned it might manage to attack someone, or escape, or go on a rampage. Now, he was more concerned that it would panic and find some very effective hidey-hole.

Enough with the musing. Picking up a ewer, he scooped up some of the water and dumped it over the creature's head, watching it roll off, nearly black with filth. Pitcher after pitcher rolled off the beast, rinsing the grime and filth away from the head and shoulders. The rest of the body, under the surface, had literal chunks of filth soaking loose and falling off. The vampire just continued to sit dully as the outer layer of filth was rinsed off. Reaching for a soft brush and soap, Abraham prepared to scrub the vampire. The movement caught the vampire's attention, and the dull red eyes lifted to see what was occurring, then turned back to the water. The soapy brush scrubbed away at the shoulders, ran through the hair, and then Abraham lifted each arm out of the water, scrubbing away. The suds came up brown. The vampire's head was tilted back, the body leaned against the back of the tub, and Van Helsing prepared to scrub the face, neck, and chest. The vampire seemed resigned, utterly complacent; it was disturbingly like cleaning a doll.

Except that dolls didn't cry. And a slow leak of red tears crept out of the monster's eyes. Abraham knew he didn' t have soap in the beast's eyes, he'd been careful of that. Unsure of the source of its distress, he simply chalked it up to the earlier trauma and continued scrubbing. Upper body done, he reached into the water, shifting the vampire's body downward, allowing him to lift a leg out of the water and scrub that as well. The vampire's soundlessness devolved into the slightest of whimpers, but he tolerated the cleaning, even the more intimate regions, without additional protest.

The water was simply too filthy to get the vampire any cleaner, but Abraham was prepared for this. The vampire was hauled unceremoniously out of the tub and dropped onto the floor, a few ewers of fresh water filled at the sink and poured on him to rinse off the worst of the soap while the tub drained. The gurgle as it ran from the plug and splashed onto the kitchen floor was the only sound; the water raced down the floor drain soundlessly and the vampire had returned to his doll-like state. Within minutes, only the sludge remained in the tub, and several ewers of hot water rinsed it out. Clean, the tub was refilled and the vampire dropped back in.

This cleaning was far more involved. Even the new nails, shiny and thick, were cleaned, the ears wiped out, and multiple cloths and brushes were used. The hair was thoroughly scrubbed, the scalp rid of all dirt and filth. Because of the burning oil and the smoke, the vampire was coated to his skin with a thin layer of oily soot, except where the dried blood and the filth of the basement had already been present. Afterwards, buckets of fresh, clean water were used on the creature, washing away the suds and dirt down the drain. All that was left was the clean, gleaming white flesh of the vampire, a marble statue curled into the tub.

Picking up the leash, Abraham clipped it to the beautiful beast, still puzzled and somewhat concerned by its limp behavior and dull acceptance of the bath. He certainly looked far better now; no bruises or welts marring that perfect body, hair gleaming, body shining a pure white. The vampire looked the part of a prize now, if only it would lose that dull, despairing expression!

"Stand up." The vampire obliged, rising smoothly to its feet in the tub, eyes still downcast. Abraham reached out to grab its hand, intending to help it out of the tub, and the beast flinched, though allowed the contact. "Step out." The vampire did so, and as soon as it was standing safely on the floor, Abraham released him. The vampire didn't exactly yank his hand away, but the appendage was suddenly moved as far away as possible without the vampire himself moving. Well, well. Someone didn't like to be touched. If so, that would explain its misery during the bath. Abraham would have to continue exploring this characteristic of his new pet. Reaching over, he scooped up the pants and robe from the countertop where they'd been waiting. Old and soft and worn, the pants were near rags. Clean and intact, but a clear sign of the vampire's lack of status in the household. Abraham intended to fully imprint on the beast how little it had. The robe would be easier to remove than a shirt with a shirt's ties and buttons, and was only marginally less shabby than the pants. Van Helsing didn't even bother with socks, shoes, or underclothes, not for a mere pet.

"Put these on." There was a pause as the vampire stared at them, then, lightning quick, Abraham found the clothes snatched from his hands. Faster than he'd have thought possible, the vampire had the clothes on, hunching the robe up about his neck and hiding his hands in the pockets. The red eyes, wondering, fixed on Abraham, and the man watched the vampire's throat move, adam's apple bobbing for a few seconds.

"Thank you." So quiet, almost inaudible, definitely a voice long out of use, but still, the vampire had clearly spoken, and English. Abraham smiled; the beast was recovering. The red eyes suddenly widened, and a "Master" was blurted onto the end of the thanks. Yes, he'd told the beast to call him Master when talking. Abraham acknowledged the vampire's thanks with a brisk nod, then turned to lead it out of the kitchen.

x x x x x x

The first stop was Abraham's bedroom. The vampire had followed him obediently, no longer startling or frightened at the new rooms and doorways. He was recovering in leaps and bounds, much to Abraham's pleasure. However, the smug pleasure at the obedience and the vampire's much improved appearance vanished when he entered his bedroom. The vampire saw the bed and simply froze in place. Angered, Abraham tugged on the leash, but the vampire simply closed its eyes and swayed in place, moaning slightly.

"Get IN here. You may be clean, but I am soaked and filthy." The vampire simply shivered, though the pain for disobeying was clearly building. "Come in. Sit on the floor while I change my clothing." Red eyes opened slightly, peering cautiously at Abraham, then the vampire darted in to sit as close to the door as possible. Abraham had to scoot him slightly to shut the door.

Soaked was an understatement. He had gotten drenched with gritty, grimy water during the course of his vampire's prolonged bath, and it was with pleasure that he stripped off those clothes to put on a fresh, dry, soft shirt and shapeless pants, wrapping a smoking robe over it and finishing off with a pair of lined wool slippers. The vampire was nearly soundless, whimpering a single time when Abraham had removed his clothing but otherwise hunched over, as tiny and inconspicuous as the tall beast could manage.

Puzzled yet again by his odd charge, Abraham picked up the leash and turned the knob. The vampire was off the floor, nearly crowding past his Master as they entered the hallway.

Dracula had no such trouble entering the office. Van Helsing strode to his desk, vampire trailing close behind him. When Abraham gave him curt directions, the vampire quickly obeyed.

"I'll be writing at my desk. Sit beside me." And when Abraham pulled his chair out to sit, the vampire folded up silently beside him. It took quite some time to write down how the vampire had behaved that night, from the panic at leaving the room and the disaster when it tried to mount the stairs, to hiding behind him, to the disappearing clothing. THAT Abraham certainly intended to investigate. He had gotten to the part where he'd observed that the vampire seemed to loathe being touched, miserable in the bath and then pulling his hand out of reach. With a sly little smile at the vampire, now back to sitting motionless and gazing at the floor, Abraham slowly reached out to pat its head.

It was like petting a cat that didn't want to be petted. The vampire melted away under his hand, just barely staying out of reach, not quite touchable. When the hand was removed, the vampire sat back up...only to duck away slowly again when the hand descended. Chortling to himself, Abraham ignored the worried and confused red eyes watching him as he wrote down his observation. The vampire did not appear to like being touched by Van Helsing. He'd have to see if it was true of other people, or just himself, and limited to only adult men or all people. What an odd creature.

After this observation came the clothing. The vampire's first words had expressed gratitude for the clothing, though it might have been the bath. Abraham eyed the beast, finally voicing his question.

"Were you thanking me for the bath, or the clothes?"

It took a moment for the vampire to successfully form words, but the "Clothes, Master." was audible, if only barely, and clear.

"You dislike being unclothed. Is that correct?" The vampire simply nodded rapidly, eager to convey that he had an obvious and definite preference for clothing, eyes fixed on Abraham.

Well, forcing him to be naked or to submit to being petted might be handy ways of punishing the monster without having to deprive it of food or damage it physically, both of which would have potentially altered the results of Abraham's research and conclusions. This was handy to know.

Turning back to his writing, Abraham wrote down these notes, then finished with a short list of the potential future research topics he'd formed from the evening's experiences. The vampire sat quietly, but the eyes now moved about the room, observing and cataloging everything with a vaguely interested expression. Smiling, curious as to what the beast would do, Abraham leaned down and unclipped the leash. The vampire's head whipped about and it stared up at him.

"Stay in the room. But you may move about in it."

The vampire needed no second bit of encouragement, but darted away from Abraham, crouching in the corner farthest from the man, watching him warily. Abraham pretended to interest in his work, writing down what the vampire was doing and creating a quick sketch of its pose. The vampire had seemed so calm, he hadn't been aware that it wanted to be away from him.

Before long, the vampire had relaxed out of its tense crouch, and alternated between glancing at Abraham and looking at the windows. The vampire was only seeing them at an angle, and Abraham doubted he could even see the glass, much less see out of them. But the vampire was rocking with indecision, eyes darting between Abraham and the window. Curious, Van Helsing continued to feign indifference and work, pretending not to notice the vampire's actions. Finally, the vampire moved out of the corner. It slunk, there was no better word for it, along the wall towards the window. When possible, it traveled behind furniture, sparse though it was, and darted through the more exposed places, clearly nervous that Abraham would see it.

Was it considering attempting to escape through a window? The restrictions he'd placed on the beast simply would not allow that.

To his shock, the vampire hid behind one of the open drapes, crouched on the floor. It made a very obvious lump where the vampire was, but he clearly felt more comfortable out of direct sight. Instead, he extended his head slightly from his hiding place, glancing back nervously at Abraham, then turning back to gaze out the window.

The vampire hadn't seen the outside world since he was caught in Romania, after all. Abraham mused that this shouldn't be overly surprising at all, vampires were very bestial, not humans, and its attraction to the outdoors was understandable in this context. He wrote down these observations as well, creating a few more sketches, giving the opportunity for the vampire to feel unobserved. The vampire wasn't looking down at the grounds, though...but up at the sky. Eventually, it moved entirely from behind the curtain, having begun completely ignoring Abraham's presence, then stretched out on the carpet in front of the window. Its feet were nearly buried in one drape, its head inches from the other, as it lay stretched on its side, arm tucked under its head...and watching something in the sky.

The moon. Abraham could see it from the window beside his desk, a pale sliver riding through the sky. There were few clouds tonight, and it was very visible...and entrancing to the vampire. Abraham felt entirely forgotten as the vampire watched the moon, unblinking, rapt and focused on the celestial visitor. The side of the monster's face was only slightly visible, a slight curve of the lashes peeking over the high cheekbone, showing the absolute lack of motion in the face, not even a blink or twitch of the lashes or cheek. It was fascinating to observe, so very inhuman.

And it was very late. Abraham pushed back his chair, and the vampire suddenly reanimated, whipping its head around to watch him. It was like watching a marble statue come to life, and Abraham regretted ending the experience. It had been so quiet and so peaceful and so...odd. Enchanting, really, though he suspected his fatigue at the end of a long day had a substantial amount to do with that effect. The vampire shifted a bit nervously as he approached, glancing down at the leash then back up at his face, edging slowly away on his hands and knees, but not trying to escape. As Abraham reached for him, metal clasp in his hand, the beast actually tilted his head to allow easier access to the loop on his collar.

Leash attached, he followed easily and obediently behind Abraham as they moved to the door. "Time for bed." That was Abraham's terse explanation, given because although he felt it wasn't really his duty to tell the literally damned creature anything, it seemed only polite that it know what was happening. And it was a mistake.

The beast froze in mid-step. Abraham turned and waited, watching as its eyes closed again. It seemed to deal with turmoil and threat in that way, withdrawing from the world. Or perhaps it knew its eyes were simply too indicative of its thoughts and feelings, and thus closed them to avoid revealing too much. But instead of pulling the beast after him, Van Helsing, curious, stopped to watch it. Time ticked by, then after a few minutes, a very subdued vampire, shoulders slumping, trudged after him.

As they passed Abraham's bedroom door, he saw the vampire pause out of the corner of his eye. Apparently, it expected to be allowed in his bedroom. No chance of that. It was back down to the basement with the beast; a human bed was a priviledge it was nowhere close to earning. However...it wasn't disappointment that showed on its face. Abraham would have to say it was...relief? Confusion? It remained silent though and other than that brief pause, gave no indication of what it had expected. They traveled back to the basement without incident.

Abraham pulled the cell door open, wordlessly gave the vampire a little push in, removed the leash with a snick, and then shut the door on it. He locked it, closed and locked the outer door, then, knowing how sleepy he was rapidly becoming, he gave the lock a second tug, verifying that it was closed. He was tempted to take a look in at the vampire, but that would mean more effort than he wanted to put out. It was far, far past the time he should have gone to sleep. Somehow, he was going to have to get that creature awake during the day.

Vampire safely shut away, he went off to his bed himself. He'd learned so much this evening. He'd really only intended to get the creature cleaned up, but that interaction had revealed a great deal about how it thought, its preferences and dislikes, and how to manage its fears.

It might be a long time before the beast had recovered enough to conduct the more...strenuous...experiments. But this was already a promising start.

XXXXX

Dracula stood, listening to the footsteps as his Master walked away. Was he truly gone? Yes...both doors shut...footsteps down the hallway...the click click click as his Master climbed the stairs, the creak and thunk as the door at the top closed. With Van Helsing gone, the tension that had vibrated through the vampire all night vanished, and he fell to his knees where he had stood, arms wrapped about his chest, rocking back and forth, panting. Gone, gone, he was safe again. After a few moments, he recovered, the overwhelming sense of relief and release vanishing to return him to the normal state of indeterminate dread. With that, he moved to his coffin, taking comfort in the touch of the solid, dense black wood and the familiar smell. No, not inside it, not yet. Maybe not ever, and that thought had a small shudder with it again. But he could at least be close to it.

Bending over, curling up again, arms crossed on knees, chin resting on his arms, he considered the evening's events. Van Helsing had been nowhere near as cruel as he'd feared. Not gentle, not at all. Patient with his broken vampire, and Dracula had no misconceptions about how damaged he was, though he was powerless to do anything about it. Food, he'd been fed, and cleaned. Thoroughly cleaned, but Master had not scrubbed painfully hard, had taken no liberties with his body. Clothing, too...not dressed in rags, though these were a bare step up. Clothing that covered, concealed, protected. He'd had a bad moment when, once he was cleaned, Master had immediately hauled him into a bedroom. Dracula had no illusions about how attractive humans found his body, it was one of the characteristics of a vampire that made them such effective predators. But...he'd simply been told to sit and wait.

And then given the freedom to walk about the office, no leash. And the moon...oh, how he had missed that. Something very primal, very instinctive in vampires called them to the moon with no less power than a werewolf was called. Being able to finally see the moon again had been entrancing, hypnotizing. For a short period of time, he'd actually forgotten where he was, what had happened to him, even the presence of Van Helsing. That brief respite had left him...revitalized, if vitality could refer to a dead creature such as himself. And then he'd been told it was "time for bed." To Dracula, who lacked a bed, that meant that he was expected to fill his Master's bed. Cowed, broken, dreading this, but aware that he had no choice in the matter and could only hope that it would be over with quickly, he had forced himself to comply.

And instead, simply been taken back down to his room and released.

Today had been momentous. He'd recovered his voice, halting and difficult though speech was to him. He'd experienced the level of control that Master had over him, and that control was utter. He'd been led about like a dog, then given the chance to moonwatch. Incredibly painful moments, then a meal, then returned to his cell.

Confusing. But to truly get the most out of a prisoner, it was best to start playing with them after they were healthy and whole, and the most fun when they actually had regained some sort of hope that they wouldn't be abused. The crushing disappointment and shock when their gentle captors showed up with chains and tools instead of soft ropes and meals was one of his primal pleasures, indulged in many times over the centuries, though far less often after his first death.

He knew not to hope for anything more. Abraham was creative and cruel, and only raising his hopes to dash them down. Depressed again, all remaining joy from his moonwatching entirely extinguished, Dracula slouched by his coffin, inert and terribly, terribly sad, until the rising sun lulled him into a shallow sleep.

x x x x x x x

Opening the door to the cell that afternoon, Abraham was not pleased to see that the clean clothes he'd dressed the vampire in now had blackened knees and a filthy hem around the ankles. The robe was smudged where it had rested against the coffin and sported sooty black handprints. The feet and hands of the beast were also smudged and black yet again. Damn.

The sharp shards of broken lantern glittered at the man, with the greasy spread of burnt oil on the floor around them. The floor had already been filthy, for when laying the silver warding, there had not been time to clean it. Smoke and soot from the crucibles used to melt the silver had laid their own layer of grime over the dirt of centuries. Rodent droppings and urine, dead insects and spiders, the slow leak of water at various times over various decades, had all contrived to leave the room a filthy pit. While he'd cleaned his vampire the night before and provided clean clothing, clearly, this was a lost cause.

But he didn't intend to have the creature spreading stains about his home, nor did he want to be constantly washing the monster and reclothing it. Having any staff members down here cleaning was too risky. Should a few of them find the silver inlays a tempting and salable find, he'd have damaged wards. Cleaning it himself...no, not appealing at all. He was the owner of the house, not a scullery maid. And damned if he'd ask the Harkers, Seward, or Holmswood to lower themselves to clean a cage for a beast.

Then again, this beast was perfectly capable of cleaning its own cage. The more he thought of this, the more Abraham was pleased with the solution. It would give the creature activity and stimulation, keep it preoccupied and busy while it recovered. If it failed to clean well, or refused, or did a slovenly job, well, he'd have a chance to punish it intentionally and finally use that silver-tipped crop he'd spent so much time deciding on and preparing. There were plenty of more advanced forms of punishment available, but frankly he prefered the speed and intimacy of the riding crop on the vampire. It would be very, very clear exactly who was delivering the punishment and where it was coming from, which the shackles and spells the beast was wound about with did not indicate.

Pleased with his solution, Abraham spent the remainder of the afternoon having buckets of steamy, soapy water, scrubbing brushes, brooms, and a dustbin brought to the room. Most of the water would drain down the heavily-warded hole in the floor, but the rest could be absorbed by the thick, heavy rags he'd brought down. The room would never be sparkling, but he'd at least be able to put the vampire back in it without immediately needing to wash him again!

x x x x x x

Dinner was a leisurely affair. While he was keen to see his newest acquisition again, Abraham was also curious about how it would respond to the new additions to its cell. Would it destroy them? Ignore them? What would it do? The vampire would be given some time, perhaps an hour, after sunset to see how it reacted to the change in its cell. Nothing it destroyed would be of any real value, after all. And so he worked his leisurely way through dessert, lingered over a cup of coffee, then finally went to see the vampire well past sunset.

The creature had clearly heard him coming, for when Abraham looked through the windows, he was able to pick out the pale form hunched in its corner. The pale clothes made it slightly more visible and the hands and feet were simply luminescent on their own. Dim red eyes peeked at him, the position of the vampire's head and arms, plus the hair falling across its face, shielded most of their light from the man. Odd, how those eyes seemed to glow on their own. Animals eyes certainly picked up and threw back light; did a vampire simply possess superb instruments to see with, reflecting every stray trace of light to create that red glow? Or did they truly possess a touch of their own Hellfire, giving them that bloody glow? Or was it an entirely different explanation?

Pushing such questions aside for now, with the intent of finding the answers in the future, Abraham entered. Lanterns were both placed on the floor, their wicks turned up, the flames bringing a bright glow to the room. Abraham strode over to his cowering pet, noticing that the beast had, indeed, noticed and interacted with the cleaning supplies. Its hands were spotless again, and the damp patches on the robe and pants showed where it had made some attempt to clean the worst of the stains. It was taking some care with its appearance, then. Or, his mind pointed out sardonically, it was simply trying to avoid punishment by taking care of the clothes it had been granted, and keeping itself clean after discovering, via the bath, that its Master wished it to be clean.

Either way, it was certainly showing more mental acuity than it had the previous night. He paused by the vampire, observing it. The face was entirely buried against the knees, hands knotted together above its head. While it wasn't rocking, nor whining, there was clear tension and a faint, but obvious, trembling. It was still very frightened of him, though not apparently mindless. Simply terrified, and hopefully obedient as a result.

Good. Boring, though, and Abraham gave a brief thought to his crop, tucked into his belt, but good. Time to see if the vampire would, and could, follow simple orders. Abraham wasn't going to give him any specifics, but wanted to see if the vampire could logically determine how to follow the orders he presented to it.

"Vampire. You will stay in this room tonight. Later, I will bring you blood. For now, clean the room." A red eye peeked up at him as the vampire twisted its head, looking confused. Abraham repeated himself. "You have buckets, soap, brushes, and water available. Clean this room."

With that, he turned and left. Once in the hallway, he looked back through the windows to watch the vampire. Had it even understood what he'd said? Yes...there. It was uncurling, with a cautious eye on the door, and moving towards the pile of supplies he'd left. Unlike a human, it inspected each and every item, picking it up, sniffing it, unfolding towels. Abraham could practically hear the painful thought process as it determined what to do. Finally, it dipped a brush in the water, then walked to the wall...and began to scrub the floor at its base. Back and forth it walked, as the brush dried. Eventually, the vampire paused, head tilted. Then, it picked up the bucket, moving the bucket to the area being cleaned rather than constantly traversing the room.

Abraham smiled. The vampire was damaged, yes, but rudimentary thought and logical processes were functional. It had figured out how to use the brushes and soap and water, realized that it was wasting effort in its cleaning, and responded. It was far too much like watching a child of four trying to clean, but compared to the screaming, weeping, mindless beast he'd been afraid he'd owned, this was a vast improvement.

Almost happy, certainly pleased, Abraham left the quietly cleaning monster to return to his study. He'd detail the proceedings so far, then bring the beast its meal.

x x x x x x x

Dracula ran the brush over the floor again, watching the dirty brown water running across it to the drain. It was mesmerizing, the only motion in the room, and vampires were predators, attracted to motion. He found himself focusing on it, only to be brought back to the room by the building ache from the bindings. Immediately, he swiped the brush across the floor again, feeling that warning, buzzing ache immediately fade.

There was so much dirt. He wasn't really certain how to clean the floor. He knew that soap, water, and brushes were used, but trying to dig up memories of using them or watching them being used was simply bringing up fog. Master had used a brush on him, and those recent memories worked. Wet brush. Rub on soap. Rub on arm...no. Not arm. Arm was clean. Rub on floor. Pleased with his deduction, the vampire rubbed the brush on the floor, watching the dirt rise up and flake off.

The soap bubbles remained, coating the floor, and he wasn't certain what to do next. Master had used an ewer, pouring clean water on him. But there was no ewer, no pitcher of any kind, just buckets. Humming, worried, he rocked a bit, trying to decide what to do. There were cloths, but those wouldn't be useful. So, he simply scrubbed more floor, leaving behind an expanding swatch of sudsy, soapy floor. Washing over the silver required care; he'd already scorched his foot once, letting out a startled yelp, then cringing, worrying that he'd attracted attention with that noise. But no footsteps were heard, no light flickered outside his room. So he kept cleaning.

He was still cleaning when Master returned.

x x x x x x

Abraham opened the door, then paused, checking on the work of his vampire. A large portion of the floor had been scrubbed, but the soap left to dry on it, leaving a muddy, sudsy film. The bits of broken glass and oil remained spread on the floor, despite the broom, dustpan, and dustbin. He frowned, then turned to his vampire, uncertain if it was being deliberately obtuse, or truly incapable.

The frightened red eyes as it hunched made him think the second, then the vampire startled a bit and began scrubbing again, enlarging the area it was cleaning. Ah, yes. He'd left the command active.

"You may stop cleaning." The vampire froze immediately, eyes on him, cautious and alert, then backed away to resume its customary position by the coffin. Abraham considered scolding it for its inept actions, but realized quickly that if the vampire was to recover, he couldn't continue to pressure it. Seward had indicated that it was likely to simply shut back down if its actions resulted in unpleasant experiences, and berating it for attempting to follow his orders, while it would be satisfying, would likely undo the creature's recovery.

Instead, he bent to pick up the dustpan, and to teach his charge how to clean.

"First, clean up the loose dirt and debris with this." Leaning down, he brushed a few clots of dirt into the dustpan. "Then dump them in here." A clang and thump as the clots banged into the bin. "Clean up more." A tinkle, as the glass was shoved into the dustpan. "Dump that in here." The tinkle and clange as the bits of glass rattled into the bin. Laying the cleaning utensils on the floor, Abraham left the room briefly, returning with one of the wooden chairs that they'd used in the hallway outside. Settling himself into the chair, he returned his gaze to the silent, watchful beast. "Now, clean up the rest of the trash on the floor with the broom and dustpan."

The vampire was awkward as he edged across the floor towards the pan, one eye always on his Master. His initial attempts were equally clumsy; the edge of the dustpan was lifted up, and the debris simply went under it. The vampire pushed too hard on the brush, and bits and splinters flew about the room instead of gliding onto the pan. But within a few tries, Abraham was pleased to see the vampire learn how to use the items correctly. The vampire apparently realized it was doing the job correctly, too, and Abraham was almost shocked to see a small, nearly invisible, smug smile appear on the beast's face.

It was...proud...of...using a dustpan?

It wasn't too long before the vampire was finished, looking vaguely about the floor, confused and at loose ends. Abraham felt another stab of disappointment. The Dracula he'd captured had been a frighteningly canny beast, sly and convoluted despite his child-like nature. Fierce, a true fighter, vicious and evil. He'd been proud of his capture.

Now, he had a slumped-over, timid beast confused by a broom. But, he reminded himself, the vampire was better than it had been and might recover farther. Even so, it was starting to look tired, listless, after only a couple hours of cleaning...and Abraham realized that he hadn't fed the beast that evening.

"You may rest. I'll return shortly." The vampire dropped the pan and broom where he stood, then moved slowly to his coffin, yet again folding up beside it. That would need to be remedied, and soon; while he was clearly functional with such limited contact, there had to be a reason that every vampire Abraham had seen slept IN its coffin. The fatigue the vampire expressed might well be a consequence of its limited time in its coffin.

Soil was needed as well, but Abraham had mixed the remaining boxes of earth from the vampire's various houses and Carfax Abbey into those bricks. The vampire was literally sleeping in a room whose inner walls were rich in his home soil. There was still a half-box remaining, perhaps it could be placed under the creature's coffin if that wasn't sufficient? And the room was certainly holy enough, though the pagan symbols interwoven through it should desecrate it enough that the vampire could sleep there. It was fully blessed by a priest and Abraham expected it to provide a suitable resting place for the vampire. Coffin, earth, and sacred resting place. Now if he could just get the literally damned beast back into its coffin to sleep, things should improve.

For now, it was curled beside its "home", an arm resting over the edge and in the coffin itself. Tired though the vampire appeared, those red eyes were still focused on Abraham, still wary. Rising, Abraham left the silent beast, but instead of moving towards the stairs, he turned to look in on his charge through the windows. As soon as he'd left, the beast had slumped over entirely, collapsed against the coffin in a clear state of fatigue.

x x x x x x x x

His rest had been too brief. Master in the room was simply...ennervating, the constant tension draining what few resources Dracula possessed. Still, Master was dangerous, and it was with effort that the vampire found himself forcing his eyes open, raising his head, watching the human (surely not only a human, not to have broken him so thoroughly?) enter, radiating human energy that just left the vampire feeling even more listless. And hungry. So hungry. He'd been fed twice, but not quite enough each time. And then he'd labored to clean the room, been in pain...he needed food.

x x x x x x

Van Helsing watched the dull eyes brighten slightly as he settle the wire basket with its two bottles on the floor. The vampire wasn't moving at all, simply alternating his wary gaze between Abraham and the bottles. Before feeding the vampire, Abraham took the time to lengthen the wicks on the lanterns, bringing the light levels up to a comfortable level. He was pleased to notice that the vampire hadn't flinched at the increased brightness.

There was a gleam at the corner of the creature's mouth. Was that a fang? Lifting a lantern, Abraham moved closer, crouching a few feet from his pet. The eyes closed tightly with that proximity, but the vampire's mouth...Drool. That was saliva. The creature was drooling after seeing those blood bottles. There was a quick pang of guilt at the realization that the beast had been that hungry, but only a brief one. After all, had he not been captured and contained, he'd still be out there, murdering and spreading his contagion. A little hunger was only a minor bit of the suffering the creature merited. Abraham uncorked a bottle, holding it only a few inches from the vampire's face, watching to see how his beast would respond.

The nose twitched slightly, the red eyes opened, focusing immediately on the bottle, and the monster gave an audible swallow.

"Do you want this?" Fearful red eyes turned to Abraham, and he realized he ought to feel guilty about taunting the hungry beast with food, but he just couldn't. Instead, he waited, forcing the creature to acknowledge its hunger, forcing it to respond to him. And it did, after a few moments of frightened contemplation, nodding slightly, eyes never moving from their wary, cautious observation of the man.

"If you want it, take it. Otherwise, I'll put it back upstairs." The vampire began to shift about, slightly rocking as it seemed to do when it was highly stressed, mouth opening slightly, then closing, then opening, as though it wanted to speak but wasn't quite sure how to do so or what to say. How frustrating. Nearly ready to put the bottle away, Abraham was pleased when a thin white hand darted out to take it. The cold, smooth skin brushed against the skin of his own hand, like chilled silk, and then the bottle had vanished against the vampire's chest. It still didn't drink, simply watching Abraham with wide eyes.

It wouldn't hurt to humor it a bit, and Abraham wasn't inclined to stay crouched on the floor by the beast much longer. With that in mind, he moved back to his chair, turning to watch the vampire. This only took a few seconds.

And he turned to see the vampire watching him again, empty bottle at its feet.

Abraham couldn't help it, he laughed. The vampire had quietly and very, very quickly emptied that bottle as soon as the man's back was turned, and now was watching him with wide, almost guilty eyes...and a bright red ring of blood around his mouth. Chuckling, Abraham rested his forehead against his hand, closing his eyes for a brief moment in his humor, and looked up...to see a tongue darting back inside a mouth, and a vampire staring back at him with a clean face.

Such an odd creature, indeed, and unexpectedly amusing.

"There's a second bottle once you've cleaned the floor." Distress, then, and confusion; the vampire didn't know how to clean the floor, after all. It was so child-like, so literal in its limited thought processes! "Here. Start by pouring water on the floor you've cleaned." Rising to lift a bucket, Abraham poured a bit of water on the sudsy, half-dried mess the vampire had left behind. "It rinses the soap and mud away. Rinse all the soap off where you cleaned. Do you understand?" A nod from his silent ward. "Then take the brush and soap, and clean again. Some of it has dried and not all the filth will rinse off. Clean it and rinse it with more water. You have enough water to rinse the floor that you have already cleaned." He eyed the monster doubtfully. "Do you understand how to clean it?"

A pause, not unexpected, and then a nod. "Are you certain you understand?" A firm nod. "Show me." The vampire cautiously unfolded from its position, soundlessly lifted the half-empty pail, and poured water on the sudsy floor. The water ran off, taking the bubbles with it, and the vampire retrieved the soapy bucket and the brush. Within moments, he was working to remove the remaining film and traces of dirt. A rinse...and then a vampire, looking surprised at the appearance of the stone that was revealed with the dirt and filth were removed!

"Good. Continue. When I return, if you have done well, I will let you drink the second bottle. Do not touch it until then. Only clean." The vampire gave a brief, longing look towards the second bottle, but began his chore with little hesitation. Abraham observed him for a few moments; already, the creature was moving more quickly, more firmly, clearly partially restored by the blood he'd consumed. Afterwards, he settled himself into the chair, silently watching his charge and noting behaviors and the constant, wary, sidelong glances.

The room was dim, even with the lanterns, not anywhere near as brightly lit as one with gas lights or daylight. It was very late, and Abraham's newly nocturnal habits were taking their toll on him. He found himself nodding off unexpectedly, and pulled himself awake. The vampire appeared oblivious, its brow slightly furrowed as it scrubbed at a particularly stained section of floor.

Quite a change, to see a Romanian vampire lord dressed in near-rags, scrubbing the cell of a dungeon. Needing a bit of activity, Abraham picked up the two empty buckets and left to return with more water. Settling back on the chair, he had to admit to boredom. If he'd been told a mere week ago that he'd be in the cell with the monster, bored, he'd have laughed. But bored he was. In any case, he'd told the vampire to clean and rinse the section of floor it had already scrubbed, and there wasn't much to do. Nothing new to write, it was too dim to read, and there was little to observe with the vampire. He considered going upstairs, but the vampire got confused too easily. If it was unable to complete its task, then it would end up in severe pain, and it was simply too unstable and fragile to risk Abraham being upstairs for a prolonged period of time while it was possibly downstairs and screaming.

And so, he watched and waited, listening to the shush-shush-shush of the brush and the occasional splash and quiet gurgle of water. The vampire's movements themselves were silent, and he found himself dozing off yet again.

He woke hours later, one lantern guttering, the other dead, the room almost black. Startled and a bit frightened at being alone in the room with the invisible vampire, he quickly turned the wick up on the failing lantern, shaking it a bit to get the last oil onto the wick. Candles, yes, there were a few stubs and a handful of full-sized ones in the hallway. Lighting a pair of those gave enough light for him to see about the room.

He was stiff and sore, meaning he'd clearly been in that chair for hours. The vampire had scrubbed and rinsed the section he'd previously cleaned, and it was clean, indeed. All buckets were empty, and the vampire was out of sight.

Had it gone into its coffin? A frisson of fear as he realized it might have left the room; the doors were unlocked. Near panic himself at the catastrophe he might have unleashed, Abraham darted to the coffin, hoping...no. EMPTY. And the surge of fear died immediately as he realized that the vampire was lying asleep on the opposite side of the coffin. It was stretched out on the lid and pressed against the side of the coffin, clearly maximizing exposure, sound asleep.

It must be day, then. He'd best leave it to sleep. Gathering up the assorted buckets and brushes to take back upstairs, he paused when he saw the full bottle of blood. He'd meant to feed it to the beast, had no intention of sending it back to sleep hungry. That the beast hadn't attacked him was likely due to the bindings. The seals and wards on the room may have kept it inside, even with the door ajar and unlocked. But why the blazes hadn't the vampire eaten the blood? It had certainly been hungry enough, and once the floor was clean it was allowed to eat. Abraham had told it that there was enough water to clean the section it had already scrubbed, and then it could eat...and it had left the food alone even though it was starved.

And frightened. And the bottle had been right by Abraham's feet. Pathetic...and sad.

Abraham took time to feed the monster before he left, draining the entire bottle into its mouth. Today, he'd see about getting a few extra bottles of blood. Two bottles each night was clearly insufficient, but when the creature returned to sleeping in its coffin, perhaps it would need less. Finishing feeding the vampire, he pondered. It had been entirely unresponsive, it was absolutely filthy, and this presented an...opportunity. Before long, he'd left, limping up the stairs on stiff knees, then returned with warm water, soap, and a rag. Stripping the vampire bare was easy enough; it had been so doll-like before that little had changed. And it didn't take much work to get the new layer of grime off the vampire, as much of it was dried soap scum and dissolved off easily leaving clean skin behind. Once it was clean, Abraham lifted it into the coffin, surprised at how little it weighed, not even ten stone if he had to make a guess. It didn't look that starved, perhaps a bit of density testing would be in its future to see if it really did have a lighter body than a similarly-sized human.

It simply lay in the coffin, unmoving, unaware. He'd been cautious of it, knowing that vampires were able to be awake during the day, but it had slept the sleep of the dead during the bath and movement. With a mental shrug, Abraham picked up the cleaning supplies and the soiled clothing, planning to bring the clean clothes to the beast when he brought it dinner that evening. The lid, he left off the coffin. He might loathe the creature, but when it woke with a lid on, it would panic, and Abraham just wasn't going to torment it without reason.

x x x x x x

It was after noon when Abraham awoke the second time, but now in his warm and soft bed. He'd sent servants off on errands to the hospitals to collect extra blood before falling into his bed, and hoped they'd return soon. The laundry maid had the clothes to scrub clean, and had assured him that they would be dry and waiting by nightfall. He was hoping for a relaxing afternoon, and had finished work and settled into his office with a newspaper and cup of hot tea when his first visitor arrived.

Seward was all to the point after a minimum of small talk. "Has the vampire made any progress?" His gaze was earnest, for if there was recovery from severe sensory deprivation for the vampire, then perhaps it would help his own patients.

Abraham had to smile with a bit of smug pride. "Very much so. He can speak, now, though he's usually mute. Last night he cleaned the floor of his cell, and the night before I took him to the kitchen and gave him a bath, then let him look out the window there," and a brief nod towards the window in question, "for nearly an hour."

"He's back to normal, then?" John's expression was a mix of shocked delight and intense curiousity.

"Far from it." Abraham's face was bitter. "He's an absolute coward, incredibly timid and flighty. Getting him from the basement to the kitchen took ages, and he's inclined to panic and bolt at anything unexpected. He can comprehend what I say, but it's with effort. Little things confuse him; he couldn't figure out how to use a dustpan initially, or how to scrub a floor." A sigh. "He's trying, and clearly terrified of me, and very leery of upsetting me. But he's a very far cry from the creature he used to be."

The two doctors spent the next hour going over Abraham's copious notes on the vampire's behavior and responses and what Abraham had observed, from its fear of the coffin to how it seemed to view Abraham as both a source of fear and as protection. At that point, the Harkers and Arthur Godalming had arrived, and both doctors gave them a recap of the situation so far. The meeting ended for dinner and the arrival of the servants with the blood, five full bottles of it. And after dinner, Dracula would be making his first "public" appearance since waking.

x x x x x x 


	11. Chapter 11

It's updated and longer. Since I'm still mostly writing for myself, I've just been continuing what I already wrote. So the chapter total might not change, it'll just get much longer sometimes!

Ch 11

Coffin. He was in his coffin. Why was the lid off? COFFIN! Dracula's body seized on him, mind screaming in fear. Back in the coffin, NO!

Escape! Crouched in the corner, ignoring the blistering burns eating away at his spine, he stared at the coffin. In it. The coffin. NO! No more! Please, please, NO MORE!

His mind raced in circles, screaming its panicked fear at him, and it was some time before he became aware of the painful, no, agonizing, burn of his back and with a hiss launched forward off the wall, careful to avoid the silver on the floor as he landed. The wall...yes. It burned. How badly?

With a flexibility a human could only imagine, he craned his head about, twisting. Most of his back was invisible, but he could see enough to realize that he had been badly burned. But it was healing, faster than he'd expected. Confused, he curled up, hunched over, blocking sight and sound and pain from himself as much as he could, freeing his broken mind to work through what had occurred.

He had been hungry when he'd gone to sleep beside the coffin. There had been blood, but Master had it. And he was not going to take the blood from Master, Master might be angry. And Master was sleeping...so...yes. He had gone to bed so hungry. And still hungry, but not so hungry. Burns healing? Yes. Fed, he'd been fed as he slept. And placed in the coffin. Who? Master?

The head lifted cautiously, nose sniffing busily. Yes. Only Master's scent. Master had fed him, then placed him in the coffin. Why the coffin? Had he displeased Master? The floor was clean, but not all of the floor. Did Master want him to clean the entire floor? But there wasn't enough water or soap.

And clothes. His clothes were gone. Master was angry. No food until he was asleep, the coffin, no clothes. He'd made Master angry, and now that he was awake, Master would hurt him again. Broken and terrified, he returned to his corner, far from the door, red tears rolling down his cheeks and dreading what would happen.

x x x x x x x

Leash in hand, silvered riding crop tucked in his belt, and tattered robe and pants in the other, Abraham stood in the doorway and stared at the vampire. It was out of the coffin, no surprise there, and huddled in the corner, face hidden.

It was also begrimed again, for it had chosen a still-filthy corner to hide in. With a sigh, he moved towards it. Hopefully, it would be clean enough to go upstairs, but he suspected he'd be washing it up yet again. As he got closer, he was able to see the great pink patches of fresh and healing burns on the creature's back, and to his surprise it backed away from him, head down and wagging from side to side, starting to keen...

And burning itself on the wall yet again.

"Dammit, vampire, move away from the wall!" With a start, it flung itself forward, wailing and sobbing, and literally groveling on the floor. Abraham stared; he'd never seen anything like it before. It was actual, sobbing, pleading groveling. And then the vampire began speaking, repeating over and over and pleading abjectly.

"sorry sorry Master sorry sorry, sorry please no sorry Master," over and over.

What the hell was going on? He crouched beside it, and the sobbing begging changed into a wordless wail. He'd have to soothe the beast to get any sense out of it, that was for certain. What the bloody blazes had happened to it? He was a bit surprised it was already awake, the sun had just been setting as he came down the stairs, but he'd expected the same quiet, timid monster of the night before. Instead, he got a pathetic, shivering, groveling wretch yet again, and this time he was truly clueless as to why.

"Shush, shush. Calm down. It's alright. You are not going to be hurt. It's okay. Shhh...shh..." Abraham muttered calming nonsense at the beast, and finally it quieted down, a red eye peering out at him from the tangled hair.

"Master?" at Abraham's gentle affirmative, the soft voice continued. "Not angry?" The beseeching red eye remained focused on him as the vampire waited for an answer.

"Angry? Why would I be angry? Did you do something I do not know about, that I should be angry over?" Wide and shocked red eyes met his own, and the vampire shook its head vigorously, denying that it had done something. Abraham had no way of knowing if it was lying, but really, what COULD it have done? It hadn't been awake more than a few minutes, there was nothing in the room to steal or break, the bindings were still firm.

"Why do you think I am angry?" A shrug from the again-silent beast, though the gaze never moved from him. "What happened that makes you think I am angry?" He hoped the creature would answer. At the least, it would give him another bit of insight into how that broken mind functioned. And he didn't have long to wait. It was difficult for the creature to speak, the voice quiet and a clear struggle to recall and use words in clear sentences, but it was managing just fine, if a bit halting.

"You...had the blood. And, my clothes. The coffin." It had moved into a crouch, skinny arms wrapped around bony knees, cautious and wary eyes still fixed on Abraham's face as it waited.

"You could have taken the blood, it was allowed." A surprised blink there. "I took the clothes away to wash them. And they are not your clothes. You have nothing. They are my clothes. Everything here is mine. I permitted you to wear them. I have brought them back now because they are clean." The vampire sagged a bit at the reminder of its sad position, but only a bit; it was already so depressed-seeming it simply couldn't be more so. "And vampires sleep in coffins. You are a vampire. You sleep in a coffin. So when you were asleep, I put you in the coffin, and you had a solid day's rest. The lid was off, you weren't trapped. But I want you to recover, and so placed you in the coffin." Abraham was careful not to refer to it as the vampire's coffin. When the vampire recovered, and he refused to phrase it as IF, he wanted it well drilled into its head that it owned NOTHING.

Red eyes blinked at him as the creature clearly thought this through, flashing through confusion, surprise, relief, and a myriad of other emotions. Finally, they settled back into their normal, wary look, and the vampire whispered a cautious, almost a question, "Thank you?" then waited to see what Abraham would do.

"You are too dirty to wear the clean clothes. Wait here, and I will bring you wash water." Abraham had considered simply taking the vampire upstairs to the sink, but while it was an undead monster, it looked like a naked man, and he did have female staff in his home. He wasn't going to inflict that on their sensibilities. The vampire looked faintly disappointed but waited quietly while Abraham left.

He returned to find the creature completely unmoved; it had either taken "wait here" to be extremely literal, or simply lacked the will to move about on its own. Abraham suspected that, when not frightened, it was the second case. But the creature sat quietly, only whining softly as Abraham quickly soaped and rinsed the parts of it that had gotten either grimy or scorched, then dressed itself in a flash when given permission.

And now for something the creature would absolutely hate. Abraham intended to take it upstairs shortly, and its hair was a tangled mess, having never been brushed out since its capture, and matted worse from the bath. The hair was shaggy but not overly long, and he had a heavy metal comb to use. He'd briefly thought of grabbing the silver-handled set from his dressing table, but pushed that temptation away. He sat in the chair, motioning the creature to come to him.

It simply stood there, rocking slowly side to side on its feet, looking puzzled. Abraham gestured more peremptorily, and the creature started a bit at the movement, then watched him, curious and wary. Ah...it didn't understand. Not a moron, but not far off. So, time to speak. "Come here. Sit in front of me, with your back to me." The vampire quickly did as commanded, sitting on the clean floor...and out of reach.

"Move closer. I am going to comb your hair." The vampire looked shocked at this, but the command forced it grudgingly closer, where it sat, quivering with tension.

Abraham tried to be gentle with it. He could have simply raked the comb through, ripping out tangles and being done soon. But instead, he moved slowly and thoroughly through the hair. He didn't waste time, no, but he did try and reduce the trauma as much as he could. Even so, though the vampire sat stone-still the entire time, a few tears had trickled down its face. It hadn't liked being touched, no...but Abraham suspected that being forced to turn its back to him had been much more damaging. But it had done as he commanded, had not complained, squirmed about, or otherwise been the least bit uncooperative...and it had earned a reward.

"All done. You can stand up now." And stand up it did, then glide away to turn and stand, watching him, from several feet away. Abraham appraised its new appearance. The hair still looked unkempt but it was a far cry from the matted, tangled mess it had been. Still damp, it had been combed away from his face but locks had already falled forward to cover much of the vampire's expression. Probably on purpose, too, Abraham concluded. The beast wanted to stay covered up, and there were no clothes to cover a face. The ratty robe and tattered trousers were clean if threadbare. But that face... "Here." Abraham held out his handkerchief, waiting to see what the vampire would do. A hesitant white hand reached for the handkerchief, then pulled back, then reached out again, and paused. "Take the handkerchief. Wipe the blood off your face. You may use the remaining water to clean your face. Then give the handkerchief back to me."

Within moments, the soggy material was in Abraham's hand. He wrung it out, considered, then tossed it down by the bucket. Even wrung out, it would quickly soak through his pocket. He'd just have to get another one upstairs. Now, time to take his more-presentable acquisition up to be viewed by his friends.

Reaching out with the leash, he was once again pleased to see the vampire tilt his head, allowing easy access to the loop. He had seen well-trained dogs that were less cooperative. Clipping it on, he moved towards the door, vampire once again following docilely behind him.

x x x x x x

The vampire didn't drag behind him at all as Abraham led it to the office. There was blood in the office, and after the creature's obedience while being groomed, Abraham intended to feed it as much as it wanted. He also wanted to see just how much blood that would be... The others were all waiting in the office as well, and he was interested in observing the vampire's response. Would it be terrified, as he suspected it would be? Since it was hungry, would it become predatory?

As he led the creature through the door, one of the others gasped. He wasn't sure who had done it, but the sound startled the vampire, causing it to jump sideways and collide with the door frame. Bright red eyes darted about the room, picking out the handful of people standing by the couch, and the vampire froze.

Abraham paused, watching the beast closely. To his tremendous surprise, the vampire didn't seem that terrified of the people; it wasn't crying or hiding at all, simply watching them. There was still wariness in the look, but nothing more. A gentle tug, and the vampire tore its attention from the people to follow Abraham to his desk. Abraham sat, and the vampire settled down quietly beside him, focused back on him and totally ignoring the other residents in the room.

"Tell our guests Hello, vampire." Confusion showed briefly, then the vampire turned to the others, pressing his own body against Abraham's chair, and whispered a quiet and obedient "Hello." The head twisted around immediately, the vampire watching him closely, clearly wondering if he'd done correctly. Musing on his behavior, Abraham nodded at him. "Very good. You've been very good tonight. Here is your reward." He pulled open the desk drawer, not missing the sudden flinch or wide eyes of the vampire. The damned beast apparently expected his "reward" to be something far more malicious than Abraham intended, and at the clink in the drawer, it hunched down by the chair, eyes clenched tightly closed. The slight tremors in its body were very visible...and then Van Helsing opened the bottle, and the scent hit the vampire.

x x x x x x Dracula gasped, eyes flying open, to look up at the Master. Master had not seemed angry, but he knew the other people in the room. And they would want to see him hurt. Master might protect him...or Master might have decided that he had healed enough to start hurting him. He couldn't think of any other reason they were here. If they had wanted to gloat over his downfall, they would have come to see him in the basement. He just wanted to hide, to not be seen, and then Master made him speak to the people. They saw him, he knew they saw him, they were reminded that he was there. Master had made sure that they saw him and heard him. And then Master said he would be "rewarded."

Dracula had heard that sort of promise before. He'd given it himself to his own prisoners, watched them perk up a bit at the thought that there was some hope, then...done something dreadful to them. He couldn't look, not after that ominous rattle, perhaps silver? A small knife? Sharp glass?

BLOOD?

His body jerked. He was so hungry. Not starved, but he hadn't had, quite, enough to eat for the last few days. His mouth was already salivating, and he forgot the others in the room, staring up at his Master, hoping and not quite daring to hope that it really was a reward.

x x x x x x x

"Are you going to take the bottle, or not?" Abraham frowned down at his vampire, causing it to bob its head subserviently. A pale tongue flicked about the lips, and then the slender white hand reached up to take the bottle. The eyes stayed fixed on Abraham as the vampire began to drink, but quickly fell to half-lidded bliss as the creature drank. The vampire finished the bottle in seconds, licking about the rim, using fingers to clean out every bit of blood it could reach. It was so hungry and so focused on getting every possible trace of blood that it was entirely oblivious to the sound of Abraham opening the drawer and removing another bottle.

"Vampire." The creature jerked, dropping the bottle, hunching a bit guiltily and staring back up at him. Even so, the busy tongue kept flicking about the lips, looking for every last trace of the sticky red liquid. Abraham dangled the second bottle in front of the vampire. "Take this and then give me the first bottle." Much less hesitant, though still keeping a careful eye on Abraham, the vampire silently took the full bottle. The other hand groped about on the floor, finding the first one and lifting it up to Abraham. There was only the slightest flinch as Abraham took the bottle back...and then the damned vampire just sat, watching him, full bottle in its hand, lid removed, drooling slightly...and not eating.

"You may eat that." With that permission, the vampire began sucking the blood down, nearly as quickly as the first bottle. By the end of the bottle, he'd slowed somewhat. So far, he'd been given two bottles each night, and seemed to have concluded that this was the last of his dinner. And so, he was finishing the bottle a little more slowly, almost reluctantly. And the faintest whine was heard as the bottle drained, now no more than a red smudge on the glass, slowly, slowly dripping a bit more out. The vampire worked busily to get the last of this out, only to lift its head as it heard another clink.

The look of shock and hunger and faint suspicion on its face was amusing to Abraham, though he couldn't really say why. The creature just seemed entirely confused and surprised by him demonstrating any concern for its well-being. This third, generous bottle (generous-seeming to the vampire) had it suspicious, but it was too hungry to question its fortune. Instead, it pressed against the chair, eyes fixed on the bottle, nostrils flaring busily as the mouth worked, swallowing the saliva that was forming as Abraham dangled the food in front of it.

"You must ask for it." Abraham wanted the creature to speak, for the others to hear it. The "Hello" had been so faint, simply a parroting, and making the creature ask for anything it needed was part of the indoctrination to servitude. Eventually, Abraham knew it would rebel. Until then, he wanted to instill so many habits of total dependency and subservience that the rebellion would be delayed as long as possible.

The head moved side-to-side as the vampire swayed in indecision. Abraham hadn't told it what to say, after all, and it still struggled to speak in English. The distraction of the food also seemed to be increasing its confusion. But it did speak, a soft, "Please, Master, may I have the bottle?" Abraham immediately twisted off the cap, handing it to the beast, who blurted out some foreign phrase before deftly lifting the bottle from his hands. He suspected the vampire had spoken "thank you Master" or something along those lines in its native tongue, and before long he was going to have to reinforce the "only speak English" command, make it permanent.

A glance at his friends showed him that they were openly shocked, and not a bit afraid of the creature. With that in mind, he leaned over and unsnapped the leash. "You may sit by the window there," and a finger pointed to the one a few feet from his desk, "and drink the blood there too if you choose." To his surprise, the vampire rocked a bit instead of moving immediately, glancing at the humans, then at its Master. Was it more nervous around them than he had thought? Apparently so, for it was clearly debating leaving the safety of his side! But the lure of the moon won out, and the window was close by, after all. Within moments, the vampire was sitting, leaning against the glass, glance flicking to its Master and the guests, then out to the stars. The bottle was drained much more slowly, clearly savored by the beast, and the rim cleaned as thoroughly as the others, and then the Moon entranced the monster. It was a bit fuller now, closer to a half-moon than a sliver, and the faint silver light gleamed out of the sleepy red eyes as the beast drooped against the glass, gazing motionless as the moon swept slowly across the sky. 


	12. Chapter 12

*Ch 11 is longer, and a new chapter added if you missed the update*

Possess, Ch 12

The vampire sat quietly, dreaming out the window at the moon, and Abraham used this opportunity to rise quietly and walk across the room to the others. As he'd requested, they'd remained silent, though he could see a thousand burning questions in their eyes. The noise he made, the squeak as the chair pushed back, immediately yanked the vampire out of his reverie, focusing instead on Abraham, and the man sighed in a bit of frustration. "You may continue to sit at the window or by my desk, and you may finish that bottle. I will talk to the others, then return you to the basement." With clear directions as to his expected behavior, the vampire returned to his Moon watching, though not as deeply. Abraham was aware of a, well, "twitchy" red gaze on his back as he returned to the others.

"He wasn't as frightened as I expected." Abraham's soft voice marked the beginning of a very soft, whispered conversation. He considered this to be a good development, but underlined how much of an enigma the vampire was. "As you can see, he appears to be both frightened of and reassured by me."

"He's much farther along than I'd hoped," ventured Seward. "I'm not seeing any sensitivity to stimuli at all, though the noise level and light levels are fairly low. I'm going to venture to say that his sensitivity to touch might be the last remaining physical issue, and that could be both why he wants to stay covered and to avoid any contact with you."

"I don't think so, John. If you'll notice, he's currently pressing against a cold glass window. Earlier, he was deliberately leaning on the chair. He doesn't seem to have problems touching things at all, whether it's a bottle, the coffin, or furniture. Just me." The little party paused for a bit. Voices had remained low, and the vampire had lost itself in contemplation of the sky again. Abraham suspected they could carry on a conversation about almost any subject and the vampire wouldn't notice, though it was possible that it was listening carefully and simply hiding its reactions.

Doubtful. The beast was an open book most of the time, expressions clearly showing what it felt and the rudiments of its though processes. Abraham doubted it could manage such a blank, calm expression purposefully, and expected it to be fairly oblivious to the conversation.

And conversation they had. Mina, most of all, was absolutely horrified and amazed by the change in the creature.

"He's not the same. It's not even...Him...anymore." Her bemused and almost sad eyes turned to Abraham. "I'd wanted to berate him for his attempts to control him, I had a wonderful speech worked up about how far he'd fallen and how he'd now be the one controlled." A helpless gesture at the creature that slumped quietly across the room from them. "And now...it seems so...trite. He's not captured, not controlled. He's not...there."

"A wholly different creature," agreed Johnathan. "The verbose, cultured, inquisitive Count I knew is...NOTHING...like that creature you now have." A pause, while he looked at his wife. "I planned to try and convince you to destroy him, when I got your telegraph that your "guest" was now mobile and speaking. I was convinced that, well, that it was the Count, and that he was playing on your hopes and expectations, that he was dangerous." A gesture much like his wife's. "If I didn't hate him so much I'd feel sorry for him. I agree with Mina, that's not the Count, not at all."

The conversation continued quietly among them, Arthur voicing much the same thoughts as the Harkers. No one, not even Abraham, felt that the creature by the window was the Count, not anymore, though it was somewhat recovered and expected to regain more of his intellect with time.

"And by the time he's recovered to be the Count again, he will be well trained. He has nothing anymore. Not even the coffin or the room is his, and he has no say in his future. Whether he eats, sleeps, feels pain or comfort, that's no longer anything he himself can determine." Abraham's lip quirked up in a bitter smile. "I thought I'd have to beat that into him. As it is, he doesn't even seem to hope for or expect a single bit of concern from me. You saw him with the bottles. He was actually surprised to be fed." A sigh. "We broke him. I've been thinking, all that time he was screaming in the coffin at the start of the trip. We should have found someone that spoke Romanian, because I don't think he was threatening or trying to manipulate us." Grim and guilty eyes met those of each of the party. "I think he was mad with fear and begging us, in actuality. And we left him locked in, despite his desperate fear. Looking at him now, it wasn't an act at all." Abraham moved to the couch, the others following him and taking their own seats on the small cluster of furniture. "I'd intended to study him, learn how vampires think, what actually harms them and what has no effect, what the most useful tools are...and I don't know that he'll be of any actual use at all. He's so damaged. The slightest burn of silver might have him screaming and thrashing so badly that there's no clear means of determining how effective it is compared to a more severe burn, for example. And he's dangerous with his unpredictability. So I'm asking each of you. Should I simply put him down, destroy him, find another subject? Having known him when he was whole and healthy, what do each of you think? Seward?"

"Abraham, by no means should you destroy him." Seward's voice was fervent. "In days, he's recovered more than my two morons from prison have recovered in months or years. I suspect he'll recover far more, and once he can talk, I want to find out from him what helped him the most, what he experienced, how he recovered." His eyes bore into Abraham's. "Keeping him around could help those two men and future patients. He's not human, but he's the closest thing to a human and even if you have no use for him, I want to use him."

Abraham was rather surprised by this, but the others echoed similar sentiments. He'd truly thought they'd want the beast destroyed...but instead, they, to a one, wished it to be kept. Their reasons were as noble as Seward's and as petty as simply wanting it to recover so they could retaliate for the loss of Lucy and Quincy and all the horrors they'd gone through. Pity mixed in with vengeance, and a healthy dose of both scientific curiousity and wonder about what would happen next.

It was already well past dark when the meeting began, and before long, tired yawns were appearing in the group. A glance at the vampire showed that the bottle, now empty, had been placed at its feet and the red eyes still watched the moon, unblinking. Abraham escorted the others to the office door, bidding them a good-night as they went to their bedrooms, then returned to watch his beast a bit longer.

"Dracula." No response, none at all. Abraham frowned, this wouldn't do, and raised his voice, repeating the call with a touch of anger. And this time, he was heard.

x x x x x x x

Oh no! Dracula's Master was angry, and oh, he was glaring! How long had Master been waiting? He should have paid attention, should have watched Master, should have ignored the moon, should have, should have, should have...what now?

And then Master walked to the drawer again, and opened it. No, there would be no blood. Not now. Oh, he had not listened! Not even realizing he was doing it, the vampire had pressed himself to the rug, a whimper catching in his throat. What would Master do? The whip? Something, Master was getting something out...

x x x x x x

The vampire had closed its eyes when Abraham looked back up, flattened on the floor and clearly near panic again. Damn, but it was nervous. All he'd done was raise his voice at it slightly. Fighting off the urge to sigh at it, instead he spoke gently. "You are not in trouble. Pay more attention in the future so I do not have to repeat myself." The vampire simply shivered, still pressed down. "You are not in trouble, vampire. I am not angry." Disbelieving red eyes peered up at him, and Abraham waited patiently. Disbelief turned to shock when the vampire realized that another bottle, a fourth bottle, waited in Abraham's hand. And a fifth bottle waited on the desk.

"Are you still hungry?" He suspected it was, but had no real way of knowing. The rapid head-bobbing was a definite yes, and Abraham moved slowly and quietly to the vampire, bending down with the bottle extended in front of him. Damn, it was walking on eggshells trying to keep the creature from starting its frightened keening, but it worked. The vampire drew back slightly, gaze flicking from Abraham to the bottle. "Go ahead and take it and eat it." The vampire accepted the bottle, and Abraham sat down, pulling out his pen and journal to record the evening's events.

It didn't take long, perhaps twenty minutes, and the vampire had finished the bottle and crept over to curl up beside his chair. Odd, that. So frightened of him, yet so dependent on him. Yet again, the vampire reminded him of an abused spaniel. Such an odd comparison, when one realized that the vampire had been more like a rabid wolf only weeks before. It remained silent, and Abraham finished his recording of the vampire's behavior and quirks, the reasons it was being kept, and the opinions of the others. If things went terribly badly, and the vampire did kill him, he needed as complete a record left behind as possible. And if things went well, and the vampire remained under the control of people, then a complete record of the beginnings would be appreciated by those future owners.

And so he dutifully recorded, in his precise hand and language, what had happened. Finishing the last page, he allowed it to dry as he gazed thoughtfully at his pet. The vampire appeared to be half-dozing, not even seeing the last bottle as Abraham tucked it into his jacket.

"Dracula." Red eyes, that had half-lidded as the creature relaxed, flew back open. The empty bottle sat by the creature, and Abraham gestured at it. "Hand me the bottle." Without hesitation, the cool white hand wrapped about it, then lifted it to Abraham. Placing it with the other empties, Abraham rose. Red eyes widened, then relaxed as the leash appeared. The vampire knew what that meant, was becoming more comfortable with the routine. The leash meant he was going somewhere. The other humans were gone. It was late. Abraham had said it was going back downstairs...so now it clearly expected that to happen. So there was no flinch, no hesitation, and the same cooperative head-tilt so that the leash could be easily attached.

It followed behind him easily. Abraham had expected, at first, to have to train it to heel, abusing and degrading it to accept its new position, forcing it into slavish obedience, to fight with its aggression and pride. But each time, as now, it simply...accepted...its place behind him and at the end of a dog leash. There was nervousness building as they passed his bedroom, but not much, not much at all, and the vampire remained calm as they entered the basement. There was no twitch, no nervousness as Abraham unclipped the leash, just the same wary, observant eyes as always.

"I'll come down during the day and place you in the coffin." Red eyes flew open and a terrified whimper came out, the vampire backing away in fear and protest. "I will not place the lid on it. Before you wake at night, I will remove you from the coffin." The vampire's head wagged back and forth, denial more than refusal, fear not disobedience. Abraham became firm. "You are a vampire. Vampires sleep in coffins. You will not be aware that you are in it, you will simply wake more rested." The vampire was still clearly terrified by the idea and Abraham wondered if he would have done better to simply not mention it at all.

Well, too late to change that now. "You behaved acceptable tonight. Are you still hungry?" The change in subject confused the vampire and it took a few minutes for its mental gears to change and for it to respond...with a slight nod. "How hungry? How much more do you need to eat?" Abraham wanted it fully fed, after all, and still didn't know just how much it would normally eat. Waiting, and waiting...and then an answer.

"Just a little, Master. A little hungry. Not much. Maybe half a bottle." The vampire swayed, stressed by the requirement to speak, to answer a more complex question, worried about why Abraham had asked the question and if its answer was acceptable.

Red eyes watched his hands, worried, as Abraham reached into his jacket...then pulled out a full red bottle. The vampire froze, stilled in his surprised and distraction, staring at the bottle that Abraham extended to him. "Take this, vampire. You may drink as much of it as you want. Place the bottle by the door before you go to sleep." A candle was lit off the lantern's flame and set on the floor to light the room somewhat, and then Abraham left the vampire behind, as it glanced from him to the bottle and back to him.

Pausing in the hallway, he looked back through the window slots to see the vampire move quietly to his coffin. Using it as a backrest, it began to sip from the bottle. The red eyes were again half-closed in pleasure.

x x x x x x x

Quiet, dark, alone...and full now. And more blood. And Master was going to sleep...

He had the rest of the night to himself. Master would put him in the coffin, and that was frightening, but...he trusted Master. He had to trust Master. It was too scary to not trust Master. And Master had said he would not wake in the coffin.

Frightening, to have Master in the room, touching him, while he slept. Frightening to be in the coffin. But he was comfortable. Clean. Fed. All those people, no one had hurt him. Master had not been angry with him.

Contemplatively, the vampire sipped at his meal. A fifth bottle. So much food. So much. Cold, but wonderful. Wonderful. No longer hungry.

And tired. So tired. All those people, watching him. Master, not angry, no, but he hadn't known that.

Muscles relaxed, his head dropped, and the vampire dozed quietly. The harpstring-tight muscles relaxed as fear and tension drained from the beast. Near morning, he lifted his head, blinking awake, and moved only to place the empty bottle by the door.

Sleep. Sleep...by coffin. Not in coffin. Never in coffin. Master would put him in coffin...but too tired, too full, too sleepy...to be frightened. Curled up on lid. Comfortable, smelled like home, home pressed against his back. Stomach full. Mind full. Sleep now. Sleep.

x x x x x x x

Abraham lifted the sleeping vampire into the coffin, pausing to stare at it. The damned creature was almost smiling.

How odd. 


	13. Chapter 13 edited

Ch 13

(This got longer while I waited on a phone call at lunch. Same chapter number, but a longer version)

Awake? Awake. COFFIN! No, not in coffin, asleep by the coffin. Master had taken him out of the coffin. Had he been in coffin? Yes...not tired, not tired at all. Not tired, not hungry. Was Master angry with him? No, Master had left his clothes on, had taken him out of the coffin, Master was probably not angry. Nice, to be full, to be rested, not scared now, no. A little stiff...stretch...nice, lots of room to stretch.

Ceiling, what was that little shape? oh, rectangle. A cross on it. Master was using that to keep him in the room? Crosses were only a little effective. What else?

A design. Familiar, almost. He should know what it was. But not yet. But he would, he could feel the memory. The knowledge. Thought was there, he had not lost it. Good to know, that. What else did he know now? Last night, there were people. Holmswood. Mina. Johnathan. Mr. Seward. Yes, he knew the names, yesterday he didn't. Nice. Something to be proud of. Master would be happy that he was better.

x x x x x x x

The beast hadn't even realized he was there. The red eyes had blinked open, the vampire had stretched out bonelessly to an amazing extent, stared at the ceiling with a puzzled look for a few minutes, and was now smiling slightly. An odd pet, certainly. And as a pet, Abraham had realized that it needed a name and spent much of the afternoon mulling over possibilities. As its owner, naming it was his prerogative. Calling it Dracula, "Son of the Dragon" was simply ridiculous. "Son of Mouse" would be more appropriate. Vlad was a human name, and Abraham was not going to give it a name that implied it deserved the respect of a human. Calling it "Count" or giving it any of its former titles was simply ridiculous, and he didn't want to be stuck calling it "vampire" if he had to reprimand it in a more public area. The beast had refered to itself as "Dr. Alucard" at one point, and Abraham had to admit to liking that name.

It was a reverse of the creature's original name, and its current state was certainly a reverse of its previous status. From Lord to slave, from keeping Johnathan as a prisoner to being a prisoner itself, from controlling Renfield and Mina to having no control over its own existence, everything had reversed. Also, the beast still seemed easily confused; using a name it was already familiar with would reduce that. And so, he'd decided to call it Alucard. Starting now.

"Alucard."

He couldn't have gotten a better response if he'd used electricity. The relaxed, mellow look vanished as the vampire startled, banging its arm against the coffin beside it. If it had had any breath in its lungs, it would have shrieked; as it was, a brief wheeze was all it had the air for. It then scrambled for a brief second, getting its feet under it and lurching a few feet away before realizing what had happened.

It wasn't any more relaxed, no, turning the same wary, guarded expression to Abraham, but at least it was still. Walking to the beast produced the expected cringe, but once the vampire saw the leash, it simply tilted its head.

Abraham hadn't explained what they would be doing tonight or why he'd called the vampire "Alucard." He simply didn't feel like it, and he was feeling ever-so-slightly malicious. The disappointment with his broken prize was enormous, and while Abraham considered himself a good man, he wasn't above the slightest bits of pettiness in revenge. The vampire didn't qeustion him, either, simply following him to the office and seating itself quietly by the chair. It winced when Abraham pulled open the drawer to remove its bottle of dinner, but overall seemed much calmer than the previous night.

"Here, eat." Abraham thrust the bottle at the vampire, who was starting to look worried about the continued silence from Abraham, but nevertheless lifted it gently from his hand. Abraham worked on his schedule of possible testing to try on the vampire, glancing down to see it quietly eating, then resting the empty bottle by its feet. It was frustrating, there was so much he wanted to do, to test, to try, and the vampire was mentally too weak and too timid and prone to panic to do any of it. Even pushing it for explanations that it found difficult to verbalize would make it collapse. For now, he'd just feed it and let it rest.

"Hand that here." His cold demeanor was definitely making the creature wilt, and the hand lifting the bottle upwards had gained a definite tremor. Abraham found he just couldn't care, and in fact took a minor bit of malicious enjoyment in the stress the vampire was experiencing. Even so, he handed down the second bottle immediately. This one emptied much more slowly, the vampire not bothering to clean the traces off the lip of the bottle or exert itself to obtain any of the remaining smears of the liquid. He caught the vampire looking longingly towards the window a few times, but ignored it. Without speaking to the vampire or looking at it, Abraham leaned down, snagged the bottle, and returned it to his desk.

He hadn't wanted to leave the vampire alone in the dark, knowing that it needed some sort of stimulation to recover, but he didn't want to interact with it. It was a failure, a weak and nearly-useless creature. It should simply be grateful to be out of the cell for the evening, fed, and left alone.

He'd known of other vampire hunters and believers in the past, whose insights and knowledge had been responsible for helping him capture the beast at his feet. They'd all shared knowledge freely, feeling a camaraderie in their work and knowing that every scrap of intelligence about their foes could save a life. Abraham was the first to catch a vampire and hold it, and it was a moral responsibility to relay what he had learned to the other men. Some was useful, such as the effectiveness of the wards in the cells and the details of their hunt. Some might not be useful, such as his vampire's preference for clothing and tendency to moon-gaze. Some was a warning about vampiric care, with a detailed description of the creature's damage from what Seward had called "Sensory Deprivation." And so, he began drafting long letters to the other men. He only had to send a few, for there were so very few of them that were hunters, and he could count on the ones receiving his missive to disseminate the information further.

But still, it was a great deal of writing. Deeply disappointed with his acquisition and the damage he'd caused, he'd been reluctant to air his failure to the others and the amount of information had accumulated at an astonishing rate. It must be done, though. And perhaps they would send some useful bit of knowledge back to help him deal with the beast at his feet. Frowning in annoyance, Abraham pulled up a fresh sheaf of paper and began to write the first of his letters. It would be a long evening.

x x x x x x x

Master was angry, after all. He'd been fed, yes. And he hadn't been hurt, no, the whip had stayed away. But Master wasn't even really looking at him. At first, it had been nice...but now, it was becoming more and more frightening. Somehow, he'd disappointed Master, angered Master. Was he not supposed to eat the food? The window, should he have asked to go to it as he had gone to it before? What did Master want? He was getting angrier and angrier. Master said nothing. But he frowned, and frowned, and oh, what would happen? Would Master use the whip? Perhaps kick or beat him instead?

Master had always told him what was going to happen, but tonight, Master did not speak to him. And Master hadn't wanted to hear him speak at all. He was remembering things now, names and more. Master might be pleased. But did Master know he was remembering? Was this why Master was so angry? How to keep Master from getting angrier? No way, no way, Master would become so angry that he hurt his vampire. Oh, no, no, no...no way to stop it, nothing to do, Master would do as he wished. Trapped, helpless, helpless, trapped...

Alucard began to whimper, unaware that he was doing so.

x x x x x

"DAMMIT!" It was hard enough to concentrate on the letter and keep his thoughts organized, even with the careful notes, but now the vampire was whining. It probably wanted to look out the window and couldn't bring itself to simply ask. All it had to do was sit there quietly, and it couldn't even manage that. Abraham shoved his chair back from the desk violently, glare falling on his vampire, ready to shout at it to be quiet.

And stopped as soon as his mouth opened. Red tears had streaked the creature's cheeks, spreading into the hair, covering the hands and knees with smears. How long had it been crying? He'd stopped watching it while it was leaning against his chair, and at some point in time it had curled back into a tight huddle, faced pressed against its arms, arms wrapped about the knees. It shook like a leaf, trembling and shaking like a whipped spaniel.

Damn, damn, damn. He'd KNOWN how fragile the beast was. The night before it had been in an absolute terror for the most bizarre reasons, convinced he was angry at it. And now, when he actually was angry, it had shattered. He wasn't really angry at the beast, more angry at the entire situation. And he'd taken out his bad temper on the creature in an inexcusably spiteful way, and now it was a huddled wet mess.

"Shhh. I am not angry at you." Well, he was, but in a roundabout way and not something the vampire deserved. "You will not be hurt." He hadn't hurt it yet, other than a single slap with the whip, but the vampire was clearly absolutely terrified of him. The bindings had hurt it, obviously, but they more enforced obedience than anything else, and hadn't been delivered directly by him. The vampire's trembling eased a bit at this reassurance, but the face remained buried, only the edge of the cheeks visible, every muscle clearly tense.

He shouldn't be feeling guilt. This was a conscienceless monster that had tortured and murdered countless souls over its long existence, as human and as vampire. Any pain it was in was only what it deserved. Abraham kept telling himself that, but the monster was just so pitiable, so broken.

Oh, to Hell with it. He was going to give it a distraction a few days earlier than he'd planned. Rising from his chair started a new session of wails from the vampire, but Abraham merely took a few steps and gave the leash a gentle tug. "Come on, Alucard. It's okay. Come on."

It was the tone as much as anything that got the vampire to uncurl and follow him, stumbling blindly down the hall, quiet. Every few steps, Abraham would glance back at his monster, occasionally catching it sneaking a peek at him with frightened, tearful eyes. The monster was silent until they passed the stairway to the basement. It had thought that Abraham would open the door and had paused, only to be startled when he continued onwards and the leash tightened, pulling it off-balance. As Abraham continued walking, it followed him again, but the silence was replaced by frightened panting.

And then Abraham opened a door...and brought the monster outside.

The vampire froze a single step from the doorway, shaking, eyes wide with shock for a moment until they snapped shut. Abraham waited, watching his vampire tremble. It was chilly out, but the breeze was fresh and clean. The sky wasn't cloudless, but the clouds were few and racing, and the half-moon was glowing. "Alucard, you may come out further." The vampire stumbled after him, and when Abraham stopped, it crouched beside him. Not quite touching him, no, but as close as it could be otherwise.

The man gave the vampire time to adjust to the change in its surroundings. When was the last time it had been outside? It had left England and been in its coffin all the way to Romania, had been staked when it left the coffin and sealed inside it until opened up again in England. There was a definite chance that the last fresh air the creature had been in had been the air of England. Added to its earlier terror, no wonder the beast was overwhelmed.

So Abraham waited, then when the vamire began to uncoil from its protective crouch, walked over to the bench. It was cold and damp, but still better than standing, and the vampire pushed its way under the bench, concealing itself. Abraham sighed, nearly ready to give up on the beast. But not yet.

Instead, he did something it probably would never have expected. He reached down, feeling through the strands of damp hair until he found the clasp...and unhooked the leash. "Stay in this courtyard. Don't go out of my immediate site, don't go past the walls or gate." It was a very small area, with a tall wall about it, a bench, a small tree, and a little grassy area. Perhaps it had been meant for small children to be taken outside, for the gate was a solid wooden swinging gate, unlike the wrought-iron gates of the rest of the manor. No child would be able to squirm through it. Having released the vampire, he simply sat back and watched.

It took time for curiousity to win out over fear, and the vampire crept out, still staying close to its Master. As Abraham watched, the head lifted, eyes closed, and the vampire took in a great breath of air, scenting and testing it.

x x x x x

Outside? Outside? Was he outside? Master had taken off the leash, did Master want him to go? Was he abandoned? No, Master told him to stay nearby. But no leash, not connected, scary, scary, Master could leave him! Master wasn't leaving, though. Master was sitting. Master would stay? Where? Where was he?

Stone, he was on stone. But not the room. Outside? Cautious, move away from Master, out of concealment. Master was still there, he was not alone. Safe. Close. Fresh air? YES! No candles, no smoke, no dust! FRESH! Trees, oaks...grass. Rock that had baked in the sun, chill and cold and mossy rock, a little scent of horses on the air. Another deep breath, holding it and testing. Oh, yes, outside!

He couldn't help it, he whined a bit, opening his eyes, looking about in delight. A wall. Tall wall, stone. He'd have gone over it without thinking before, but now it seemed safe, keeping the world away from him. Not much room, still enclosed, like being in the house. Not scary. No one could come in, and no one was there but Master.

Master? Master was smiling at him. Master was happy. Master was not angry, had taken him outside. Oh, what a treat! He could explore, yes? Only to stay inside the walls? Easy, that. Didn't want to be away from Master, Master was safety. But he could look? Yes, moved away several feet, Master just nodded. Nod...Nods meant Yes. Yes. He could look.

Thrumming with happiness, the vampire began a cautious exploration.

x x x x x x x

Awed red eyes watched him, then the vampire turned about, nose working busily as it surveyed the little courtyard. It moved away, glancing back constantly for reassurance, and Abraham nodded to it, smiling, urging it onwards. It grinned at him, delight radiating off it, despite the red streaks that still dampned its cheeks, crawling across the little cobbled path to the tree. Hands gripped the bark, the vampire pulling itself up, then running wondering fingers up and down the trunk, raching up to feel a leaf. It rubbed its cheek on the tree, much like a cat, amusing and surprising simultaneously.

Then it wandered off, moving to the wall, glancing back constantly at Abraham. It needed to be reassured constantly, it seemed, and Abraham obliged. "You are doing well. Stay in the courtyard." Spoken in a gentle and supportive voice, it caused the vampire to perk up even further. Busy white hands roamed over the stones, pulling out a bit of moss to be carefully sniffed before the vampire moved on. Abraham tensed as the vampire wandered down the wall to the gate, but it seemed utterly disinterested in opening it, if it even knew how. It simply touched the iron hinges, wondered at the joined wooden slats, and then moved on to the wall again.

Its wanderings brought it back to Abraham's side when it followed the wall around the yard, and gentle fingers ghosted over the bench as the vampire inspected it. And then, it left Abraham and the wall and crept into the open center of the courtyard. The grass seemed to tempt it, and the vampire buried its fingers and then its face in the lawn, sniffing deep breaths of the soil and grass. It stretched out, finally laying on the grass, a silly and absurd smile on its face. Small, but there, and the vampire sprawled happily and comfortably on the grass, wriggling his his fingers, face, and chest deep into it.

He'd undoubtedly put some fierce grass stains into that tattered robe, but Abraham wasn't about to reprimand him. Instead, he leaned back onto the wall behind the bench, watching his vampire, pleased with what he was seeing. The vampire glanced back at him, and Abraham smiled gently and nodded again. A grin was the vampire's response, all previous sorrow seemingly forgotten, although the sharp points in that grin reminded Abraham of just how monstrous the creature was.

The silly, foolish, broken creature, now sprawled on its back in the thick grass and watching the moon. Shaking his head in wonder at the beast, Abraham pulled out his pipe, spending time taking relaxed puffs as the vampire sprawled out contentedly on the small lawn, eyes fixed on the heavens.  
> <p>


	14. Chapter 14

Possess Ch 14 (Chapter 13 was updated if you missed that)

The vampire was substantially better. Over the last few days, they'd settled into a routine. Abraham would go downstairs shortly after dark. It would be leashed, and taken to the office. While Abraham worked, it would drink a bottle, then move to the window. If Abraham had no work to finish, it would be fed its bottle and taken directly outside to the courtyard. Otherwise, when he finished his work, it would get at least a brief excursion. The one time there had been a drizzle, the vampire had seemed so depressed at staying inside that Abraham had gone ahead and taken it out. He'd remained in the dry doorway to watch his pet; the vampire had mostly ignored the cold drizzle except for a brief fascination with a puddle. The moon had been reflected in it, but with the raindrops, the surface was constantly dimpled and rippled. The moon had shortly hidden behind a cloud, whereupon the vampire lost interest. The bestial nature of the creature clearly made exposure to the outdoors a requirement for its mental well-being, and it was easy enough to fulfill. Abraham himself enjoyed the chance to go outside and enjoy a bit of peace and a pipe.

When Abraham retired for bed, the vampire would be returned to the basement and given cleaning supplies. Slowly but surely, the floor and walls were losing their layer of grime and smoke. The vampire would be given a bottle of food that it could eat after cleaning its room, and a third bottle was always provided if it was still hungry afterwards. Abraham had found that by placing the beast to sleep in the coffin during the day, it not only had substantially more energy during the night by also required less food. It always ate the three bottles, but wasn't bothering to clean them out and get the last drips and dregs of blood, but simply sucked down the easy-to-reach contents. He was routinely finding that Alucard left as much as an inch in the bottom of the last bottle. No longer half-starved, the vampire was bright-eyed and attentive if still nearly mute. The last bucket of water would clean the vampire, and it would change into fresh clothes. A second robe, less tatty, and a second pair of pants, more tatty, had been procured for the beast. Once changed, it would curl up on the lid near the coffin and sleep.

Abraham would arrive shortly after dawn to inspect the progress of the cleaning, collect the soiled clothing, and to move the vampire into its coffin. In the late afternoon or early evening, he'd extract the creature and leave it beside the coffin. Alucard had to be aware that this was occurring, but when Abraham had mentioned that he was continuing this, the vampire had been very, very distressed. It was a nuisance to have to shuffle it between the coffin and the floor twice a night, but the vampire certainly benefited from the effort. As long as it woke clothed and Abraham kept a pleasant expression on his face, Alucard was coherent and obedient as soon as his eyes had opened.

Tonight, things were going to change a bit. Alucard was awake and waiting as soon as Abraham arrived. He was always twitchy and nervous until seeing Van Helsing; clearly, the monster was rapidly becoming dependent. While still wary and cautious, he was no longer so inclined to panic if Abraham was out-of-sorts or if Alucard didn't understand what was happening. Most nights included at least a few moments of frozen fear when a branch fell against the window or Abraham made an unexpected noise, but overall, the vampire was regaining his confidence. That is, as long as Abraham was present! And tonight, that comfortable routine was going to be shaken up some. The vampire would be speaking.

Clipping the leash on the vampire, Abraham gave a brief explanation of tonight's plans. Leaving the vampire in any sort of limbo was clearly detrimental; while it had accustomed itself to the routine that had been established, it still needed the structure of explanations and organization. "We'll be in the office tonight. But after you have finished your bottle, I will have questions for you to answer. When we have finished, if you do well, we will go outside again. Otherwise, we will go directly to the basement." Worried red eyes moved to Abraham, but the vampire didn't freeze or look distressed. Clearly, it wondered what Abraham would ask. Just as clearly, with the punishment and reward defined and the punishment not terrifying, only disappointing, it was only worried and not terrified.

The vampire settled down by the chair, looking expectantly at Abraham. It knew, or thought it knew, what would occur. It sat, Abraham sat, Abraham opened the drawer, and it received blood. As he unsnapped the leash, Abraham mused-and not for the first time!-about just how spaniel-like the vampire was. It was terribly reminiscent of taking a dog for a walk and then feeding it afterwards, up to and including the focused expression on the creature's face! Not disappointed, it took the bottle from Abraham and began its meal. It still tended to snatch the bottle away, which Abraham suspected was due mostly to its wish to avoid contact. The vampire no longer gulped it down as quickly as possible, but it did eat quickly, eyes, as always, half-closed in pleasure.

After taking the bottle back, Abraham pulled up his pen and clipboard and began asking questions. The vampire's eyes had gotten a little wider, though its face remained expressionless, as Abraham picked the items up. As soon as they were in view off the top of the desk, it settled, but every time Abraham moved something out of sight of the beast, it would cower. Apparently, it thought the entire top of the desk was covered with silver whips and bottles of holy water...

"Can you speak English tonight?" The first question, and the most important. "Answer in English." The vampire had almost begun to nod, but the slight movement stopped as the creature, with surprising ease, answered.

"Yes, Master." The voice was still low, soft, and quiet, but with the quiet room, it was perfectly audible. Excellent. And on to the question that had been bothering Abraham for the last week.

"When I gave you your bath, your clothes vanished. Where did they go?" Red eyes blinked and then went a bit vague and unfocused, a sign that the vampire was concentration on forming an answer. Abraham fought with his impatience, he dearly wanted to know the answer to this question! And soon, the vampire spoke. Still quiet, and with a few long pauses, but more fluently and comprehendable than Abraham had hoped.

"They weren't real clothes. I created them. And so I took them back. They are part of me." Interesting, but how? Then again, the vampire could turn to fog or into a wolf. Changing from a naked human to a clothed human wasn't that bizarre when Abraham considered this.

"Can you create any type of clothing? Describe how you do this." Abraham's pen was at the ready, fingers white with the pressure around it. He really, really wanted to know this answer. He'd been so baffled when the first clothes disappeared, and had been biding his time until he could engage the creature in a question-and-answer session without it panicking and going mute!

"Yes." Head tilted, eyes vague, as the beast thought. "I have to know what they will look like. Exactly like. And then I concentrate and make them. They are clothes, but they are me too."

"Can you feel them?" Odd that, if the vampire's clothes were more like another skin...

"Feel them? I know I am wearing them. I can tell them are being worn." Head tilted, the vampire was clearly guessing at what Abraham meant. He suspected the beast would eventually be recovered enough to be deliberately obtuse and misleading, but right now it was so eager to please that it was ridiculously honest.

"When someone or something touches your clothes, can you feel that? If the clothes are you, can you feel them, like part of your body?"

The puzzled look vanished, and the vampire nodded. "If I want to. Usually I do not want to. And so I cannot usually feel them."

Interesting, that. "How do you make them?"

The vampire's head ducked down. "It is hard to describe." And he obviously worried about failure, too.

"Do your best. We have time." At Abraham's soft and gentle reassurance, the vampire's head lifted again. It was quiet for a few minutes, settling itself more comfortably, eyes lost in thought, before finally speaking. The words were slow, measured, and carefully thought out, but clear.

"My body is my body, but it is not like a human body. Not quite. I choose what I look like. Then I form the body that I want and it is like a human body. It can be hurt, it can heal. If I am not making a body, that is when I am mist, or shadows sometimes. But it is uncomfortable to not have a body, Master. I like eating, and moving, and seeing. But if I have a human body I have to have clothes or people know I am a monster."

Abraham stared at the monster in thought. This was...totally different...than anything anyone had ever learned about vampires. "People see your skin and eyes and teeth and know you are a monster. Why do you choose a form that isn't completely human?"

A head tilt as the vampire tried to answer, tilting it back the other way, mouth opening briefly as it tried to formulate its response. Instead, it simply shrugged slightly. "Master, this is my form. I am not human. I can look almost human, but if I do not try very, very hard I look like this. This is...me. It is what I am."

Intrigued, Abraham asked, "Can you look human now? Not like a vampire?"

The face crumpled slightly. "No, Master. It is hard. Too hard. Maybe I will sometime. But now I cannot."

"What about clothing. Can you make clothing now?"

Intead of speaking, the vampire crumpled a bit more. It seemed a combination of depression at its inability and concern that it was disappointing Abraham. It was trying so hard to please him, remembering to call him Master, trying to explain, and clearly worrying that Abraham would become angry. Alucard was so...sensitive. Not a word that Abraham ever thought he'd use to describe a vampire!

"It's alright, Alucard. Maybe in the future you will show me this. Can you describe how you make the clothes for me?"

A nod. "I decide what I want them to look like. It has to be all around me. How thick are they, what fabric, what color. Everything. Usually I have real clothes to look at and I copy them. Then..." and here he paused, trying to explain what was clearly not explainable. "Then...I fill them. I make the idea. And once I make them, they are there until I unmake them."

"You unmade the damaged clothes. How do you unmake them?" Abraham felt foolish as soon as he asked the question, for the vampire clearly remembered the session in which Abraham had ripped his clothing off, leaving him bare on the floor. Instead of answering immediately, the vampire began rocking slightly, curled up and trembling. Still too sensitive, and Abraham hurried to reassure him. "You have clothes now that I gave you. I will not take them. It's alright, Alucard. Shhh...shh..." Gentle and slow, and the vampire would respond. And it did.

"They are me. I stop creating the shape and it turns back to shadows and then I take them in."

Shadows, eh? "Could you make clothes now, if I gave you clothes to copy?" A miserable head-shake told him no. "Could you show me the shadows?" Another head shake. "Why?"

"It is too hard. I tried. I can't." The creature looked entirely depressed, having lost what it considered a very basic ability. Then again, Abraham might have been responsible for this problem...

"Alucard, it's alright, it's not your fault. I put a collar on you to control you and I control your abilities now. Maybe later we will try and let you make your own clothes." Confused and cowed red eyes, for the vampire had apparently not realized that Abraham's careful spell and controls were interfering with its abilities. Abraham himself didn't really know what they would do, but they were the strongest containment spells, rich with holy symbols and blessings, that he and the small coterie of fellow hunters had ever been able to find and create. And that was with centuries of effort. This was the only set of them in existence, and they had taken decades to craft. They would block the vampire's ability to attack Abraham, and inhibit some of its other powers.

Either the controls or the damage to the beast's mind was currently affecting it abilities, and Abraham wasn't upset to learn that the creature was weakened!

Still, it had clearly reached the end of its ability to be questioned. Thoroughly depressed, intimidated, mentally drained from the process of crafting responses, it was a tired and miserable huddle. Abraham wanted to know more, especially about other forms the beast could take, but for now...it was done. He had plenty to think about. And the vampire had done its best, so time for its reward. Pulling out the leash, he moved to the vampire.

"It's a lovely night out. Let's go." 


	15. Chapter 15

Ch 15

The vampire was quieter than usual as Abraham went to fetch him for the evening. Cooperative, but while he kept Abraham in sight out of the corner of his eyes, he wasn't looking directly at him at all. After snapping the leash on him and moving upstairs, Abraham began to feel that he was being haunted by a ghost. The beast was absolutely silent, not the slightest of tugs on the leash, not even the beginnings of eye contact. He wasn't flinching away, but this was more extremely withdrawn than even his normal status!

And then Abraham realized that he hadn't told the creature what was occurring that evening. It was undoubtedly imagining the worst...and that wouldn't be happening until it was able to handle the experience. As it was, the creature would end up catatonic again or in gibbering fear. The brusqueness Abraham had shown tonight already had it flighty. He'd come down the stairs a bit later than he'd wanted, and been rushing about before. So his entrance was a quicker pace than usual, hurried, and he'd snapped the leash on and moved out quickly, too, without taking time to explain anything.

And it had the vampire spooked. Ah well, easy enough to remedy.

"Tonight will be the same as the previous night. We'll be in the office, I will feed you and ask you questions. If you do well, we go outside afterwards. If not, straight back to the basement. You will be fed again in the basement." Red eyes lifted to focus on him, vampire still quiet and withdrawn.

It silently folded itself down beside the chair, taking and eating its meal in complete silence. After eating, it simply hunched down.

Abraham watched it for a few moments, puzzled. Was the questioning really that stressful for the creature? It wasn't twitchy and frightened, simply very...subdued. Almost tired, fatigued seeming. Stressful or not, it was going to answer, it was perfectly capable of doing so, and Abraham wasn't going to frighten it to the point that it couldn't function. It might not like answering, but it was going to. The evil creature didn't deserve any coddling.

"Alucard." No imagination there. It slumped, ever so slightly more. "You will answer the questions I have. Sulking will not change this." And tonight's question list was quite short, after all. Last night Abraham had asked about abilities. Tonight, he wanted to find out more about behavior. The vampire's avoidance of touch was interesting. Abraham had automatically reached for the vampire to pull him about or move him a few times only to find the creature shifting ever-so-slightly out of reach. Since not having access to his abilities was distressing the vampire, Abraham had decided to ask some simpler, less-involved questions about being touched. He'd also like to ask some questions about maintaining the creature and its needs, but those were longer and would be more draining for the beast. So for tonight, simple was best.

"You find my touch unpleasant. Is this correct?" The vampire's head nodded, though he remained silent. Abraham thought briefly of forcing him to answer verbally, but decided against it. He had an answer, he'd save the force for later. "Do you find the touch of others unpleasant?" Another nod. "Is this everyone's touch?" Nod.

"Explain why you find touch unpleasant." A brief shudder, and a wait while the creature composed its thoughts. Abraham didn't push it, simply waiting.

"It's hot, uncomfortable. Humans are wet. Sweaty. Sticky. It feels..." and a pause, while the vampire searched for words that would not insult Abraham, "unpleasant." Abraham suspected there was far more to this.

Sticky? Wet? Well, perhaps to a vampire. Their skin was very smooth, chill, and now that Abraham thought of it, very dry. Like chilled silk and sometimes cool marble, in fact. Finding the physical touch itself unpleasant was understandable in that context. But the vampire always flinched away, even when there was no possibility of skin-on-skin contact, or when Abraham was wearing gloves in the cold of outdoors. Why? "You also find it unpleasant when I touch your hair or your clothing. You cannot feel my heat or my skin when that happens."

To his surprise, the vampire whined, hunching down. He simply waited, letting the pain build up in the monster and forcing an answer from it. It didn't take long, and the vampire gasped out, "Scared."

Scared? Of being touched? Why in the world would the vampire think a simple tug on a sleeve was scary? "Why?"

The vampire wailed. Only a few questions in, and simple questions, and it was already in the throes of panic. Damnation, it was so oversensitive as to be nearly useless. But only nearly, for it began to cry out an explanation. "Don't hurt don't hurt don't hurt! Please Master!" With the start of the explanation the pain eased, and teary red eyes turned up beseechingly him. "Scared, touching."

Abraham tried to puzzle through what the vampire was incoherently trying to say. "Being handled or touched is frightening to you?" A nod, an entire series of them as the head bobbed frantically. "Do you know why it frightens you?" The vampire simply shrugged. "Explain, Alucard." A whine, then a quick answer.

"No." pause. "It just...Bad." The vampire suddenly sat up straighter, and looked up at Abraham again. "Threatens." It seemed rather pleased that it had found the word it needed, had been able to explain. It was also shifting about, clearly very stressed, and it had been in pain as well. And if it couldn't even manage to explain that it didn't know why, but it found human touch threatening...without Abraham playing 20 questions and it panicking...it was time to end for the night.

It was interesting to note that it found his touch threatening though. Abraham had found himself with the occasional urge to give it a soothing pat on the head when it was overly nervous, but had restrained himself because the creature didn't deserve the comfort and it would probably dodge anyways unless ordered to sit still. Now, he was very glad he had not done so, because the vampire reacted so very very badly to any perceived threat from Abraham.

Yet another confusing, difficult-to-understand trait. He wanted to know if this trait was typical of all vampires or simply his own, and if it was all people or just himself. But that would have to wait. Less than five minutes of talking, and the creature was done for the evening. It really hadn't even been worth hauling him up to the office for that.

"I'll feed you again and you may stay up here until I am ready to sleep. Then I will be taking you to the basement again. You are not in trouble, but you did not answer enough questions to go outside tonight."

The vampire looked vaguely disappointed...but also relieved that the questions were over. It curled up, not even moving to the window after Abraham gave it permission to do so. It didn't take long for the trembling to end, and the vampire simply lay there, staring vaguely across the floor with half-closed eyes.

Speech and thought seemed to absolutely exhaust the beast. Abraham made note of this in his journal, of the limp and disinterested state the beast was in. It perked up enough to drink, but really only the bare minimum necessary, and was back to being motionless and limp afterwards. It did follow him quietly downstairs, not dragging or dawdling.

It stood, swaying slightly, as the collar was unclipped, and ignored the bottle placed by its feet. At the doorway, Abraham turned back to the vampire one last time. Always before, it waited until he was gone to settle down, watching the door until it shut and was locked, then moving to the coffin to sit and eat or think its vampiric thoughts.

It was already curled up on the floor behind the coffin, the bottle left sitting abandoned on the ground. 


	16. Chapter 16

Ch 16

*Hadn't intended to write this. But it got stuck in my head and I went ahead and typed it up. I've got a wedding in three days then a honeymoon, so don't expect any updates unless I have unexpected down time :)*

Tired. Just tired. Waking constantly, no real sleep. Bad dreams, nightmares...memories? Miserable.

And then Master asked, and memories came while awake, too. Not full, no. Emotions, yes. He remember being scared. NO TOUCH! Had to answer Master. Had to.

Why scared? What memory? Didn't want to know. DID NOT WANT. Afraid to sleep, afraid of dreams again. Sleeping out of coffin...no real rest. Nightmares. Scared. Sleep in coffin NO! Worse, worse.

Master would put him in coffin. He could sleep then, safe. But Master took him out of coffin too. And that was bad, bad. No sleep. No sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Abraham pushed the door open early in the morning. The sun hadn't been up long, he'd just eaten breakfast and had come to move his vampire to the coffin. It was deuced annoying to do this each day; his late nights meant that he'd be returning to bed for a few more hours of sleep that moving the vampire had interupted. Then again, the other option was having the vampire be useless and exhausted rather than slowly recovering. So each day, he rose too early, ate, and then moved the vampire.

He grumbled as he stalked across the room to the sleeping pest, only to pause in silent surprise as two tired red eyes focused on him. The vampire drew back, glancing from Abraham to the coffin to Abraham, hunching down in a sort of submission and apology.

Why the Hell was the beast not asleep? It had to be nearly 9 am! And this, of course, meant even more missed sleep if he had to wait on the monster to fall asleep before moving it into the coffin. Abraham was almost tempted to simply leave, but curiosity got the better of him. He'd known vampires could be awake during the day, but it was unnatural for them, clearly difficult. The only time he'd seen one awake, it had been clumsy, awkward, and snarling...at least until the silver bullets took it down. His vampire ought to be sound asleep, and Abraham wanted to know why it wasn't.

"Why aren't you asleep?" He snapped this at the vampire, irritated and irate from the lack of sleep. The vampire rocked back and forth a bit, eyes concealed as it stared at the floor. It mumbled something, and Abraham snapped at it a second time. "Answer me, dammit."

"Don't want to sleep." This was the vampire's mumble, face still hidden.

"Look at me." The vampire lifted its head, flinching back. It looked exhausted. "You should be asleep, whether or not you want to be. I came down here to put you in the coffin, having to wake up myself to do this, and you don't WANT to sleep?" He was practically shouting in anger at the beast, and it was clearly fighting the instinct to cower down and look away from him...but its face was crumpling in an exhausted panic. "WHY do you not want to sleep?"

The beast started wailing, and Abraham had to strain to pick out words from the frantic tumble of sounds. It was obvious that it was frightened. Frightened of sleep?

"You great ninny. You are perfectly safe in the coffin. No one will bother you while you are my property and in the cell. You should sleep." The vampire, who had begun to nod during this tirade, stopped its nodding at the last sentence. "Go to sleep." The vampire looked up at him, almost desperately.

"WHAT NOW?"

"..." The vampire was speechless now with fear, mouth moving silently as it inched away from him, face contorted with fear.

"DAMMIT." Abraham's glare could have pierced steel. He forced himself to calm down, turning his back on the vampire and taking deep, calming breaths. When he felt he had mastered his anger at the beast and could present a calm front, he turned around. "Alright. Explain why you will not sleep and I will decide what to do. Take your time until you can clearly tell me what is wrong."

The vampire rocked a bit, scraping against the side of its coffin with a constant shush-shush-shush. The sound crawled up Abraham's back, but he blocked the response from his face, presenting only a calm visage to the vampire. But his patience paid off after several long minutes of waiting.

"Dreams. I have bad dreams. Scary dreams."

Bad dreams. Oh, dear God, the damn monster had bad dreams and wouldn't sleep. Abraham almost groaned at the ridiculousness. "Bad dreams. You have bad dreams." The monster nodded.

"Memories. Bad ones." He pointed to the coffin. "Not in coffin, so I remember. I do not want to remember." It rocked quietly a bit, then looked up Abraham with a sort of bereft anguish and lopsided grimace. "Can't sleep in coffin, can't sleep out of coffin."

Bloody damnable Hell. Abraham was too tired for this. "If you are in the coffin, you don't dream. Correct?" the vampire nodded. "Did your dreams wake you up yesterday?" The vampire nodded again. "Have they been waking you up every night you are not in the coffin?" Another nod, and Abraham realized that this explained the listless fatigue of the beast. It had spent about five, perhaps 6 hours in the coffin, and another three or four outside of it each night...so it really had not gotten enough sleep if dreams were disturbing those hours outside. And the deprivation was catching up to it. He rubbed his face tiredly.

"Vampire, go to sleep now. As soon as you are asleep, I will put you in the coffin. You won't have time to dream." The vampire blinked at him, head tilted as it considered.

"But...Master. Evening?" It fidgeted in concern.

"I'll come down just a little bit before sunset and take you out then." He looked sternly at the beast. "If you wake up early, you'll find yourself in the coffin." The monster wilted, but nodded. It was clearly too exhausted to argue.

Red eyes, sagging with sleepiness, but agreeable. "Sleep now?"

"YES, dammit. Sleep now."

Abraham was shocked to see the vampire fold up, falling asleep between one heartbeat and the next, crouched slumped next to the coffin. "Alucard?" Absolutely no response. Almost flabberghasted at the speed with which the beast had collapsed into sleep, Abraham lifted it carefully and placed it in the coffin.

Scared of its coffin. Scared to be touched. Scared to sleep. Frightened senseless when Abraham so much as scowled. No, this was not the proud, brave Count, that fought them and contested them and refused to yield. Abraham simply wanted to destroy the beast, useless and sniveling as it was. But Seward...he needed to tell John about the irrational fears the creature now had and how they controlled it. Whether or not it had any relevance to human recovery, he had no way to know. But keeping the beast around was justified. And perhaps it would recover, in time.

For now, he was going to take his morning nap. And forget about the bastard until evening. 


	17. Chapter 17

Church 1

(Yes, this WILL keep updating. I've edited in the other chapter and some more new material into this one. I'd like to keep them as one long chapter. This chapter jumps ahead about 2 weeks. I had the scene and wanted to write it, and more filler MAY show up between Ch 16 and this in the future. And I think that Silver Hawke was the writer, but the story seems to be gone. Thank you all for the help IDing the mystery story...just wish it was still there! )

He'd taken the vampire out for a romp in the nearby fields. Well-fed and well-rested, the vampire had been bubbling with energy. Abraham had taken it throughout the house, letting it explore its new home, then out over the estate grounds. Always, it stayed within a few yards of him, keeping an eye on its Master as it poked about.

Abraham had been somewhat amused to note that it PREFERED being on a leash. Being tethered to him was somehow reassuring to the beast, and it was much more confident when connected to him. It still spooked occasionally, staring cautiously at something out of range of Abraham's human senses, but when off the leash it would end up underfoot for a few moments when startled. Leashed, Alucard was more likely to pause and simply watch whatever it was.

Tonight, Abraham had taken the vampire out of the Estate itself into a hay field. It was still his property and a few of his horses grazed in the distance, but it was outside the walls. Alucard was slowly relaxing in the wide-open space, pacing a great circle about Abraham. The vampire was connected via the groom's lunge-line tonight, with a great deal more freedom than usual, though he had yet to reach the end of the tether. Instead, he simply wandered about, great red eyes focused on the sky and the waning moon, occasionally glancing back at Abraham for reassurance or warily watching Abraham's guests.

Not being a fool, and having the vampire outside of the walls of his own estate, Abraham had invited Seward and Godalming along. Seward was following the vampire's recovery almost as raptly as Abraham himself, and Godalming had expressed a simple fascination with the odd creature. Alucard himself had begun speaking in full sentences on a consistent basis, though a scowl from Abraham still caused an extreme reaction of fear. His logical abilities were resurfacing, and his memories, too, were solidifying. As long as he was left alone and not pressured, he continued to recover.

To Abraham's vast irritation, forcing the vampire to answer more than a few questions, no matter how nonthreatening and casual those questions were, caused the beast to relapse into a mute, terrified moron. It wasn't so much the questions as the fact that he would be the focus of Abraham's attention, and that was too much for him to handle. It was easier to simply pose a mild question when the vampire was otherwise occupied, and wait for an answer while working (or appearing to work) and seeming only the slightest bit interested in the answer. Alucard would answer, eventually, and with a considered, clear response.

Consistent bribes of traveling outside and consistent rewards kept the beast cooperative more effectively than any scowl Abraham offered! It was simply too sensitive and fearful, though Abraham himself had done nothing to it other than the single snap of the riding crop, or letting the bindings work when it was uncooperative. Once Abraham had realized that the vampire always intended to answer, but it would take time, he'd kept the bindings from inflicting pain if the answer wasn't supplied immediately. It took too long for the beast's fractured mind to construct a solid answer, more so if it felt the impending pain!

Tonight, he was simply letting it wander. This was its first experience not being contained behind a wall or high fence, only the distant rails of the pasture. The only other humans for almost a quarter mile any direction were likely asleep and in their own homes, the only large animals his own handful of horses and a few cattle in the next field over. That first week, simply taking the vampire into the basement hallway had caused it to panic. Now, it was wandering about an open field, with two other adult men nearby, and content. Even their quiet conversation wasn't resulting in more than the occasional cautious glance! While slow, its recovery was consistent.

And the field was very dark. The only light came from the tiny remaining sliver of the moon and the stars, for Abraham had put out his lantern and left it beside his feet. The light from it had actually made it more difficult to see his vampire, though with the lantern snuffed the meadow was black. The vampire was clearly visible, with his glowing eyes and nearly-luminescent skin, but John and Arthur were only visible from the red glow of John's pipe, their own lantern dark at their feet. And it was in this darkness that Abraham's foot found the badger hole. He felt his lower leg break as he fell, shouting in surprise as he collapsed. It was very unfortunate as well that as he fell, he was falling towards the lantern. It shattered as his head impacted its metal top, and he landed unconcious on the ground.

xxxxxxx

MASTER!

Alucard's shocked eyes tried to take in what had happened. Master had been there, guarding him...Master was now on the ground. He was not holding the line now, sprawling on the ground. Breathing? Yes, Master was not dead. But not awake. And there was blood on his head. The feeling of safety and security fled and the vampire froze, staring in shock at his downed Master.

It might not have gone too badly at this point, except that John and Arthur had heard the shout and raced towards Abraham, quickly finding his prone form. They lit their lantern, pulling him from the hole, checking his pulse, and then Arthur turned towards Alucard.

"The vampire! Quick!" He lunged towards the frozen, frightened creature, which immediately darted out of reach. His hands grasped the lunge line, a thick sturdy cord used to exercise the spirited horses of the stable, and he braced himself, pulling backwards to halt the fleeing vampire.

MASTER! Shaking in fear, unwilling to leave Master, Alucard saw the two men rush towards Master's prone figure. He knew that they would not hurt Abraham, but himself...no...no...dangerous! He wanted to run to Abraham, wanted to run away, and froze in painful indecision. The one man turned towards him, Arthur? and Alucard tried to hiss a warning at the man, to keep him away. The binding flared up, stabbing him with pain, and simultaneous with that Arthur lunged at him.

DANGER! His stasis of fear shattered, Alucard turned to run. He didn't know where he was going, other than AWAY! And moving at vampiric speed, he slammed into the end of the line.

PAIN! His neck BURNED! He felt the metal twist and shatter, gouging his neck as it was pulled free. There was a pained shout and thud as Arthur was pulled from his feet to sprawl on the ground.

The shock of the loss of Abraham, the perceived attack by Arthur, the pain from the binding when he attempted to defend himself and frighten Arthur, the unfamiliar meadow, the wound in his neck...they wre too much. Added to that was the disorientation as the binding spells were shattered and warped and the angry, worried cries of Arthur and John. Even then, Alucard might have gone no farther than the edge of the field, but for one oversight. Abraham, uncertain of his charge's behavior, and wary of its power, had kept himself armed when the vampire was taken outside the building. He'd given Seward and Godalming pistols with silver bullets when they accompanied him.

John looked up to see the dark form of Arthur sprawled on the ground, and the fleeing vampire. He pulled his pistol and fired, again and again and again, emptying the cylinder of the six bullets it held. One hit...the vampire screamed.

And then it was gone. In the meadow, surrounded by dark and the pounding of frightened hooves in the distance, both his companions prone, Abraham injured, possibly severely, and the vampire loose. And then he found that the collar had been ripped away from it as it fled.

It was with heavy hearts that they splinted Abraham's leg and began the slow trip to the house, carrying him, the shattered lantern...and the twisted remains of the collar that had held Alucard tame and safe.

x x x x x x

Alucard simply ran. His shoulder burned fiercely, and he longed to stop and lick it, but fear overrode all. His neck ached as well, and he wanted nothing more than to find Master. He knew that those had been silver bullets, the men had tried to destroy him, and Master was not able to protect him. It was terrifying. Abraham had been overwhelming to the vampire, but he'd felt safe from everyone else while in Abraham's presence. Van Helsing would not allow anyone else to hurt him, and Alucard had trusted in his power and ability implicitly.

Seeing him sprawled broken on the ground had been like seeing a God fall to the bewildered vampire.

And so he ran, mindless and hurting, with the speed only a vampire could reach. Not mortal, he didn't tire as a human would, and it was hours and many, many miles later when he finally slowed. He'd left the men far behind him. Was he safe now? A hedgerow provided a dark and sheltered lair, and he hid briefly, trying to think through the ruins of his situation. Licking his arm helped heal it; the bullet had torn a deep gouge but passed on through it, leaving a painful, bloody furrow. The blood had trickled out all during the run, but the burning from the silver had partially cauterized the wound and Alucard hadn't lost as much blood as he could have. Wound clean, he hunched, and thought.

Safety. He needed safety. Men would shoot him, hurt him, abuse him. The sun would hurt. He needed to hide, to find a sanctuary. Sanctuary.

Yes.

Relief flooding his befuddled mind, his head lifted, gazing about. With a goal in mind, he pushed himself up from the dubious shelter of the hedgerow, stumbling along it until it crossed a road, then following the road.

He knew what he needed now, a memory from his childhood, a sacredly-held belief for much of his existence. And his pace picked up, though he wavered about the road like a drunk, moving quickly towards a possible Sanctuary somewhere along that path.

x x x x x x x x

It was the noise outside that woke the priest from his sleep. It was a wailing, screaming, crying sound, inhuman yet terrifyingly tragically childlike, and it pulled him from a sound slumber and to his door in moments. Self-preservation kicked in, and he took a few moments to grab the axe and a lantern, then went outside. He didn't really know what to expect; an injured child, a frightened dog, some sort of odd bird-of-prey with a strange cry, some boogeyman. And he found...nothing. The sound had ceased as soon as he'd opened the door.

A quiet circuit of his little cottage showed nothing in the bushes, and nothing lurked in or by the little garden shed. The church stood only a few yards away, his cottage part of his salary as the priest, and after clearing his yard, he went to check the church grounds as well. And that was where he found it-no, HIM.

A man, huddled by the door, face hidden, shaking with fear or cold or some combination of them both.

x x x x x x x x

The priest's first thought was that there was a madman at his church steps. Many people might have left the madman at this point, fearing that the strength of a madman might be turned against them with no one else near to intervene. But Father Jacob was a large man, from a long line of farmers, bred over centuries for muscle and sinew, and what he could see of the man huddled at his church step was slight, even frail. He had a comforting thought for the axe in his hand, but not only was he a large man, he was a true priest. In him was the calling to serve, and his response to the frightened madman before him was to succor the stranger, not turn him out.

In moments, he'd crouched beside the man, speaking softly. So close, he could hear the near-silent weeping. Either a madman, or a man who had suffered some great calamity, perhaps even both. And so, gently, he spoke to his visitor.

"Here, now. What's wrong, fellow?" A large hand, gentle, with the ghosts of callouses of hard labor still decorating the pads, reached out to gently grasp the thin shoulder. It had meant to be supportive and comforting, but instead the stranger jerked away, thudding into the stone doorframe, gasping breaths replacing the quiet weeping. Father Jacob was only startled for a moment. Perhaps this stranger had some injury, and his touch had been painful? The tattered robe and pants, now visible in the golden lantern light, were perhaps from a hospital or some other institute. And...there was an asylum, after all, not forty miles hence. Was this one of the patients there, escaped and fled and lost? He continued to soothe the man, determined to bring him inside and discover what had occurred, and if he was injured after all. The man certainly didn't have normal attire; the thought that perhaps a carriage had been wrecked and other injured people needed assistance faded as the clothing the man wore brought the certainty that he was alone and lost somehow. Likely not injured, just lost and frightened.

x x x x x x

"Are you alright? Is there an injury? Are you hurt?" The gentle voice and soothing presence calmed the vampire. This was not a man. This was a Priest. Priests were safety. A quiet chapel away from his father and a source of wisdom and support. Priests smelled of incense and...peace. And a quiet sniff told him that this priest smelled...Right. Priests protected, priests were shepherds. Priests were peaceful.

In the jumbled fear-ridden maze of the vampire's mind, the respect he'd held for the lower levels of the Church and his own experiences with caring shepherds of their flocks coalesced to turn the normally frightening adult male into a protective figure. Both before and after his change, priests had been powerful, protective, and trustworthy. And this...was a priest.

Safe. He was safe.

Sanctuary.

x x x x x x x

"Sanctuary." The priest leaned forward, unsure of what he'd heard whispered on that ghost of a breath. The man had stopped trembling, freezing still for a few moments, then suddenly slumping bonelessly against the church doors. And he'd whispered a single word, a word that hadn't been used in a century or more in this modern society. Sanctuary?

"Come now, let's go into the house and get you cleaned up and fed." Speaking quietly still, trying to soothe, the priest gently gripped the arm of the stranger. There was no resistance as he lifted the slight man to his feet, though he towered a surprising distance above the tall priest. But there was no meat on his bones, and the priest frowned; how long had this madman been on his own to be so thin, so starved? The hair was a dark grey, shot through with some lighter strands, the age perhaps forty or so based on the color alone. Feed him first, Father Jacob decided, get him warm, then see what could be done.

The head lifted finally, and the eyes that met Father Jacob's own were the red of Hellfire itself.

x x x x x x x x x x

Father Jacob nearly fell over backwards as his instincts screamed at him to run, to flee, to hide. But he was no foolish and superstitious heathen, and there must be a rational explanation. Albinos had red eyes, did they not? And yes, the man was very pale. Albinos were blonds, this one had gray hair, perhaps some albinos possessed hair with color. He refused to dwell on that word, "possessed." And the eyes seemed to glow faintly, but they could just be very reflective, throwing back the light from his lantern.

And while he was thinking all this through, the man remained slumped down, the eyes large and confused and somewhat frightened, simply waiting. He looked so odd...perhaps his familiy had brought him here, then abandoned him to the mercy of the Church? It was not unheard of for the mad or ill to be so discarded. Pity replaced the fear, and Father Jacob sternly repressed the urge to kill the monster. It was no monster, just a man born deformed and weak-minded, abandoned to the Church in the night. Rising again, he leaned over to the albino, holding out his hand. "Come with me. I'll take care of you."

Red eyes watched him for a few long seconds, then a thin, dirty, cold white hand was delicately and hesitantly placed in his own.

x x x x x x x x

Away? Away from Sanctuary? Alucard's eyes clenched shut, and he froze. No, no. SAFE here. He wanted in the church, not to leave it. He should obey the priest, he should follow the priest, but he was not here for the priest. He wanted in the CHURCH. But he should obey, but he wanted to be in the church, the priest was pulling gently on his hand, he should go with, go with Priest, but not Sanctuary with Priest, Sanctuary in church. Safety, safety, not safe now, no, and he shivered with longing and battling desires.

x x x x x x x

Father Jacob stopped, watching in consternation as his visitor pulled back, pulling his hand away and pressing against the church doors. The head was again hanging low, swinging from side-to-side. Thin arms clenched an equally thin chest as the man swayed back and forth, moaning slightly. Madmen. With a suppressed sigh of patience, Father Jacob spoke again.

"It is late and it is chilly. I have a warm home, bread and soup for you to eat. Come with me." A hesitant foot moved forward, then pulled back again. "Come now." Hand extended towards the madman, Father Jacob waited. The man stood nearly motionless, only turning his hands to press his palms against the church doors. A faint whisper again reached the priest's ears.

"Sanctuary?" This time, it was more of a plea or a question, less of a statement. Did the odd man want in the church itself? The doors were locked, the key to them in Father Jacob's pocket.

"Do you want in the church?" The madman seemed so focused on this. Perhaps if he was allowed in the church, he would settle and allow himself to be taken into the house, fed, and put to bed. Tomorrow would be time to begin unraveling this mystery man. The mystery man who was now nodding emphatically, though silent.

He was probably a fool for doing this, but the priest reached past the man, inserted the key in the lock, and turned it.

x x x x x x

Yes! Sanctuary! The doors swung apart and the vampire darted inside. Safe, safe, safe, safe! The smell of candle wax, incense, wood and old books, the faint trace of wine on the air, SAFE! A great grin of relief stretching his face wide, the vampire staggered and stumbled up the aisle in a rush, moving towards the altar at the head of the church.

The grin faded

Something was wrong

WRONG.

A church should be friendly, it should welcome him. This church felt WRONG. The crucifix above the altar loomed at him, threatening.

Vampire, he was vampire. Vampires didn't belong in a church.

Unholy, unclean, unwanted.

Alucard stopped, swaying, wailing.

No sanctuary. Not safe, not, not.

Not for him. Never.

x x x x x x

The speed with which his visitor had darted into the church momentarily stunned Father Jacob, but he pulled the doors farther open and followed his new charge inside. The man had rushed towards the altar, only to stop partway there and collapse, keening in misery.

Oh, no. He WAS injured. Guiltily, the priest remembered how the man had pulled away, flinched when his shoulder was touched. He WAS hurt, and had fallen from those injuries while in the church itself. Berating himself under his breath, the priest rushed to help the poor man, sitting beside him and pulling him against his chest while he began to feel the man for broken bones, bandages, other damage hidden beneath those tattered clothes. There was blood on the sleeve, some of it still red, most dried brown, it was not much. And more blood on the collar and shoulders, the man had an injury on his arm, and another on his head or neck.

Worried, the priest manipulated the pliant, unresisting, limp form, trying to find the neck injury, thinking how to tear the tattered robe to make a temporary bandage, wondering how he'd get the man to the doctor in the middle of the night, questioning how much blood the poor madman had lost before he'd realized the fellow was injured.

Two things happened to end his racing thoughts about the man's hidden wounds.

His crucifix moved with him, swaying forward on the rosary's chain to brush the man's face...hissing as it touched. Smoking. And leaving a burned streak on the fair skin of the forehead.

The man was still bleeding...bloody tears dripped from those red eyes.

Demon. It was a demon. Terrified and angered, the priest shoved the form away, pushing himself backwards, crab-walking a few feet as he scrambled for distance, then lunged to his feet. The axe was outside, only the lantern beside him, and Father Jacob grasped his rosary like a lifeline and weapon, thrusting it and its dangling crucifix towards the demon crouched on the church floor. 


	18. Chapter 18

Yeah, it ends abruptly. Check back in a couple hours, more will probably appear on this chapter.

(They didn't know about heart attacks, but thought that it was fatal indigestion and such when a heart attack occurred.)

The demon simply lay where the priest had dropped it, curled up and weeping. After a few moments of holding his rosary outstretched and being totally ignored, Father Jacobs began to feel like a fool. If this was a demon, it was nothing like he'd been taught in seminary. Demons were supposed to possess victims, not wander about and enter churches in the middle of the night.

They were supposed to be proud, haughty, vicious...not huddle in rags and weep.

Frightening...not pitiful.

Confused, keeping a cautious eye on the demon, he moved to the door to retrieve his axe. With the weight of the axe in one hand, and the rosary about his neck, he felt confidence returning. And with that came curiousity.

"What are you?" He really hadn't mean to ask it out loud, but this bizarre monster seemed to demand it. It was evil, the scorch on its head made that clear, but nothing else was obvious. If he needed to exorcise a victim or kill a monster, it behooved him to know what, precisely, was sitting on the floor of his church besides an unholy creature.

The red eyes looked up at him and the beast uncurled slightly. The eyes took in the axe, and the lanky, skinny man flinched. Father Jacobs' grip on the axe tightened slightly, more and more confident. Seconds crawled by, and he frowned, wondering if it would be best to simply use the axe and dispatch the monster, for it seemed unwilling to answer. And then it answered, a faint, broken whisper.

"Vampire."

VAMPIRE? Vampires were nothing but a tale, a make-believe boogeyman, the subject of penny-dreadfuls and spooky stories. Then again...why not? It wasn't the demon he was familiar with, after all, though he'd learned nothing more than the very basics of identification and exorcism, being more concerned with his role as shepherd during seminary.

"Show me your teeth." Hesitant and frightened, but those bloodless lips peeled up, revealing a mouthful of teeth a shade too sharp for a human...and a great pair of fangs. After a moment of motionless, wary watching, the vampire relaxed his mouth and those teeth hid from view again. Father Jacobs could only stare.

Vampires, vampires, what did he know about destroying them? Not much. None of it from his own lessons, except for a few days spent covering vampires and related subjects during a discussion of superstitions. A few ideas from popular horror periodicals and penny-dreadfuls, but not much. They didn't die as a person would. Beheading killed them, that he had learned, and he thought he remembered that they must be reburied at a crossroads. He had an axe, and a wheelbarrow...could get the body to the town square at bury it at an intersection...but before dawn? In the cobbled road? No, that wouldn't work. The little lane from the church met up with the main road to town...was that sufficient?

And why on God's green Earth was a vampire in his church in the middle of the night, anyways?

"Why are you here?" Red eyes watched him, and the vampire moved a bit, inching his body slightly further from the priest, pulling long legs underneath, preparing to run.

"Stay there!" His command jumped out, and Father Jacobs raised his axe, prepared to kill the beast immediately if it should flee. Whatever it was, it ended tonight; none of his flock would suffer its depredations.

The beast flattened onto the floor, shaking, eyes shut. Father Jacobs wondered...just how much of a monster was this thing? It was so frightened of him, had been frightened even before he found it. Why had it come to a church?

Was it a demon, of sorts? Did even a fallen Angel repent? Attempt to re-enter Heaven? Was it mad, after all? It seemed to be...

"I was scared." The whisper caught him off-guard, and he fought to remember what he had asked. Eyes narrowed, the priest looked at the monster, the vampire.

"Scared of what?" More hesitation as it shifted about, though it no longer seemed to be preparing to run.

"They were shooting me. Master had fallen. I ran." Tears began to flow again. "I thought...a church...sanctuary." It turned to look towards the altar, an expression of tragic loss pulling down its face. "I was wrong." The vampire curled back into a ball. "Not wanted, not here. Never here," it muttered into its legs, then sat quietly, head resting on knees. The priest couldn't see the face, but suspected the vampire was weeping again. It was pititful, truly pitiful, and possibly truly insane.

"Your Master fell long ago and burns in Hell," growled the priest. The head whipped up to face him, eyes wide in horror, and the vampire began to scream.

"NO! no no no no!" It stood, staggering towards him, screaming in denial and shock and horror, "Not dead, not dead, not dead." As the blood-streaked caricature of a man lurched towards him, Father Jacobs yanked up the axe, resting it on his shoulder, prepared to swing at the monster...only to watch it collapse into a pile and weep, entirely heartbroken.

Angrily, heart racing again from the sudden threat and its equally sudden dissolution, the priest shouted at the vampire again. "He was cast from Heaven for his betrayal, and Lucifer burns in Hell, monster. Your Master cannot help you." He stood, glaring furiously at the beast at his feet as it sobbed. Demon or monster or vampire, it had burned from the crucifix and was a beast of Hell, and he fully intended to send it back to its Master tonight.

The sobs slowly eased, and the confused red eyes peered up. Time crept by, then..."Lucifer?" was whispered out as a question. The grief of the vampire had been knocked aside by confusion.

"Yes, Lucifer. Satan. The Fallen One. Your Master." Each name was bitten off, snapped out at the vampire. S

"Master...is Abraham." Confused, emotionally wrung-out, the vampire ceased weeping to lay dully on the floor.

"What do you mean?" The vampire was quiet, simply staring at the wall. No longer torn by fear and grief, seemingly too tired to react. The hair, which had been a dark gray, seemed lighter, finer. Was it shifting its shape? It wasn't speaking, wasn't answering.

He nudged it with a foot, his boot pushing roughly at its legs. "Answer me. What do you mean, your Master is Abraham?" Abraham of the Bible? Ancient Abraham? "Isaac? Are you Isaac?" Was it truly a demon, after all, twisting words, confusing him? A heavier nudge. "Answer me, demon."

Red eyes opened again, drooping, watching him, exhausted. "Alucard. Master named me Alucard. Abraham is my Master."

At least the vampire had a name, now. But who was Abraham? "Who is Abraham, Alucard?"

Puzzlement. "Abraham is Abraham Van Helsing. My Master."

Holy Mary Mother of God. A human? A human master? Was this a summoned demon, escaped when its Master died? "Abraham Van Helsing is a human? He summoned you?"

The monster, the vampire, remained motionless, still lying on the floor, eyes barely open. "Summon?" a pause, a long pause. "Master did not summon. Hunted me, found me, caught me, kept me." Red eyes moved slightly, turning to the Priest, and a slightly hopeful tone entered the vampire's voice. "Will find me again?"

Ignoring the question, Father Jacobs put together what he knew so far. "Abraham Van Helsing is a human, who hunted and caught you. And you say he 'fell'?" A slight nod. "What do you mean?"

"Fell. On the ground. Not moving. They shot me." Mumbled, but audible.

"Abraham was shot?"

"No...fell."

"Why?"

The faintest twitch of the shoulders. "Don't know. Fell. Didn't speak. Didn't move." The tears began to flow again, as Father Jacobs stared, thinking through what he had learned.

Abraham fell. Had he fallen down dead? Dearest God in Heaven, the man that kept the vampire had probably had a fatal attack of indigestion. And now...the vampire was here, in his church. And the vampire wanted his Master to find him again?

"What will you do now?" Most likely, die and be sent to Hell from his axe. But what did the vampire have planned.

Red eyes glazed, as the vampire thought. "Rest?" Then a more confident, "Master will find me. Cannot hide from Master."

Father Jacobs looked at the vampire on the floor of his church in consternation. It had closed its eyes after its announcement that its Master would find it, and was curled loosely in a fetal position, eyes closed. It was evil, he ought to kill it...but he'd also heard of Mercy. And as pitiful as it was, without posing the slightest threat to him...he simply couldn't bring himself to cleave the neck with his axe. It was half-mad, thoroughly exhausted, miserably unhappy, and the only time it had remotely shown threat was when he told it that its Master was dead.

Apparently, it had taken the pronouncement of Abraham Van Helsing's death rather hard. Who was this Van Helsing? And how long ago had this occurred? A day, a week, a month, a year? The vampire had said that someone had shot him, but who? Murder was a sin, and a defenseless creature offering no threat...what if he found out it was repentant? Was this some sort of holy test? Thoughtfully, he moved from his position over the vampire to sit in one of the pews, watching the thin creature as it half-dozed on the church floor. He needed to find Van Helsing and the person who had shot the vampire, that was for certain, and he needed to find a way to keep it contained until then. And he was certainly NOT going to give it a spot in the guest room!

"Wake up. Who shot you? And why?" The vampire jerked slightly at the command, then mumbled out "John shot me. John Seward." A longer pause, then with a soft, wailing voice it cried out, "I don't know why!" He began to sob. "I was frightened, they shouted, Master would not have let him shoot him, but Master..." and the voice disintegrated.

John Seward? Father Jacobs found himself leaning back in the pew in shock. That...was this the same man...the doctor at the asylum? He went there every two months to offer Mass to the patients, those aware enough to participate, rotating through this duty with several other priests. No, it couldn't be. It wasn't a common last name, but it wasn't rare, either. And "they" shouted? "Who else was there? You said "They shouted." Who else are you talking about?"

It took time for the vampire to pull itself together. More and more, Father Jacob's realized that it was mad, mad or so very different from humans as to appear so. But it did answer, given time. "Arthur Godalming." It was curled up tightly now, eyes staring towards the altar. "Arthur chased me away, and John shot me."

Oh, no. The only Godalming the priest knew happened to be a Lord. His estate was closer even than the asylum, but still nearly 30 miles away. As one of the major Lords in the region, and a supporter of the local parishes, the name and face were known to the priest. Lord Godalming...John Seward...He still had no idea who this Van Helsing was, but he could contact the others in the morning. Were these the only people?

"Alucard, who else was there besides Seward, Godalming, and Van Helsing?"

The vampire simply shook his head slightly, rocking it against the floor. "Me?" The answer was hesitant.

"No one else?"

"No." More confident now, but still hesitant, quiet.

"Vampire, what do you need? For tonight?"

This brought the eyes wide open, turning to face the priest in consternation. The mouth worked slightly, as the vampire thought it through. It still seemed so confused, and Father Jacobs found himself clarifying. "I don't plan to kill you immediately, but I also can't leave you in the middle of the church aisle. What should I do with you? What do you need me to provide?" Providing for an unholy monster...but he couldn't bring himself to kill it, and he wasn't about to shove it out into the night and let it take a victim, either. He admitted to himself he was not comfortable with caring for the beast, but really didn't see a way around this either.

"A crypt? To sleep?" A longer thought, as though the vampire were reluctant to say it, but he did. And once he did, the priest realized why it was reluctant to ask. "Blood?"

"You sleep in a CRYPT?" Ignoring the blood for now, for he'd known that vampires drank it, he focused on the startling request.

"I sleep in a coffin. Master has my coffin." Very matter-of-fact, and the vampire continued. "I need my coffin..but a crypt...for now. It will...suffice." The priest wondered at the increased language ability of the vampire. "Suffice" indeed...but realized with a few moments that when he'd told the vampire he'd care for it, it had stopped acting so frightened. And with the calmer gaze and loss of much of his fear, the vampire was clearly more coherent.

"There's a crypt under the church. If you desecrate a single tomb in there, I won't hesitate to destroy you." The priest spoke warningly, voice a growl again, hand on the axe.

"No, no no! Not touch! Just...sleep!" The vampire rushed to reassure him, fright robbing it of the coherence and intelligence it had briefly gained.

"Alright, then. You'll sleep in the crypt. And I'll get some rope, and you'll not be moving in that crypt, either. I won't destroy you, but you'll be trussed up and the door locked tight. And you'll be staying there all day. It won't be comfortable, but that's how it will be, until I've sent some telegrams." The vampire blinked at him, a bit confused.

"I'll be asleep. I won't mind."

"Asleep? All day?" Oh, yes...vampires...they were nocturnal. Despite the fatigue this one was showing with dawn nearly two hours away, if it was nocturnal, it would sleep. And yes, it was nodding. Asleep all day, then...Good. He could try and contact those two men without worrying about the vampire. Now for the second one. "You need blood? Or want blood?"

It shifted nervously. "Hungry." The voice was pleading a bit, but also resigned. It wasn't expecting anything, but was asking anyways...at least, that was the best interpretation the priest could give. "I don't need it...but...hungry. I'm hungry."

Blood? Well...there was his pony for the cart. And a leg of lamb, purchased from the butcher just that afternoon. He could drain some blood off of it, maybe even take a little from the pony. He was no doctor, but he ought to be able to get a bit without damaging the pony too badly. Then again, he was reluctant to hurt even a horse to help a creature of evil. "I have a bit of lamb's blood I can get for you. It will have to do."

A grumble, then the vampire spoke again, this time a little sad and resigned. "No...thank you. I cannot eat animal blood. I will wait."

A thank you? From an unholy beast? This thing was nothing but contradictions. And how had Abraham fed it, anyways? With a frisson of fear, he wondered if the man was truly evil, sacrificing humans to the beast's appetite? Oh, dear God in Heaven, was Seward feeding it patients? "How did Abraham feed you?"

He didn't mean to snap it out at the beast, and was unsurprised to see it flinch a bit, but it responded. "Bottled blood...from hospitals." It frowned, thinking, remembering. "He said it was from surgeries. Waste blood. The hospitals saved it each day."

He'd been leaning forward, anger bringing him out of the pew, but the sheer relief of realizing that an innocuous source supplied the food pushed him back down into the seat. "Only hospital blood?"

"Yes." The stress from before over, the realization that the priest intended to keep him and not hurt him, and the end result was the vampire showing more energy. He still hadn't moved from the floor, but the brief rest, and the realization that he was safe, had clearly revitalized it a bit. No longer terrified, the priest no longer looming over it, and it was more and more coherent.

"You didn't bite anyone?"

"Master didn't allow it." The vampire was resigned to this situation, and it showed in his voice.

"You wanted to bite someone?"

Red eyes blinked at him, a little confused again. "I'm a vampire. I bite people. I want to bite, but Master would be very angry. So I do not." A sigh. "Not even Master."

"You'd bite Abraham?"

The eyes flew open. "No! Not bite! But...some blood...a taste...would be wonderful." The vampire sighed longingly. "He never let me."

"Well, I could see him not wanting you to bite him." The priest's voice was dry. "Those are rather large fangs, you know."

"Not bite." The vampire was firm on this. "Humans bleed. Cuts, scrapes, pinpricks." Another sigh. "I could smell, sometimes, that he had bled. But he never offered me a taste."

"And you didn't ask?"

The vampire shook its head rapidly, "No, no no no! Angry, he'd be angry!"

It seemed scared of Abraham, even though that had been its Master, WAS its Master. Then again, it was scared of almost everything, from what he could see. Mention of Abraham being angry had caused the vampire to curl up again, hands twisted in its hair, and the priest noticed something he hadn't seen before.

"Show me your wrists." It took a moment for the vampire to respond, but it did, uncoiling slowly, sitting warily on the floor, watching him. And then it lifted its hands, slowly extending them out towards the priest.

There were bands of some kind, a metal bracelet, on its wrists. Pulling the lantern close, he knelt, keeping a cautious eye on the vampire as he inspected them. They were a snug iron or other dark metal, and he could make out some sort of inscriptions, including what appeared to be a pentagram. They weren't decoration, but another unholy item of the vampires. A cautious tug resulted in a whine from the creature, and he realized that the bands were much too snug to remove easily. Neither one had any sort of clear fastener or lock; they appeared to be one solid piece of metal.

He couldn't destroy the vampire, couldn't bring himself to hurt the creature, but he could most certainly destroy those little pieces of Satan's work. At the least, he could clip them off and separate them from the beast, and perhaps ask one of the men about them later. For now, though... He had items to get, rope, pillows, a blanket, and he wasn't leaving the vampire unattended while he did so.

"Get up. Come with me while I get a few items. Walk in front of me, keep your hands down, and move slowly."

It didn't even argue or comment, just slowly pushed itself off the ground, standing there with a wary eye on him, swaying slightly.

"Walk to the front door of my house." It did so, down the aisle, out the church door, and after a brief pause to look about and locate it, towards his home. He kept a careful two steps behind it, axe on his shoulder and ready to use. "Go inside, and sit by the door." A moment's thought, and "Sit on your hands." His dad had required that of him and his brothers when they were acting up, as it kept them from poking and pinching one another. He was more worried about the mouth, but couldn't exactly have the vampire sit on that. It folded up on the rug by the door compliantly, leaning back against the wall and looking about the room with a combination of interest and fear.

Keeping an eye on it, the priest pulled a worn blanket from the bottom of the chest by the drawer, then vanished briefly into the guest bedroom to obtain a pillow. These were placed by the vampire, and joined by a pair of candles. A heavy cot, folded, thudded on top of the pile from the corner cupboard. The last item was a small folding knife he pulled from a cabinent drawer and placed in his pocket. All items in the house located and ready, he turned to the silent and waiting vampire. "Pick those up, then walk to the stables."

Arms full of bedding, the vampire trudged slowly but obediently to the stables, waiting quietly while Father Jacobs picked up a few long reins. The sturdy leather ought to make a decent set of bindings, but the Priest wished he'd had a simple rope. They all had metal latches and such on them, used as horse leadropes or to clip onto the well bucket, and would make better weapons than a few strips of plain leather. Speaking of metal...the hoof trimmers joined the pile of items in the vampire's arms, causing a momentary confusion on its face. But it remained quiet, seemingly content to be ordered about.

"Back into the church with you, and sit where you were before." It turned and plodded off. Amazing, that it was so...pliable. Obedient. It seemed to follow his orders with almost an aura of relief, not anger, not rebellion. The concept of a Master made more sense, the more he saw of this behavior.

It sat quietly, putting the small pile of objects beside it while the priest went over to the crypt door with the lantern. He paused a moment, looking at the silent vampire, then placed the axe on the ground beside it. It was a bit unnerving not to have it in his hands, but the vampire had been so nonviolent that the hesitation at putting down his weapon was minor at most. The crypt door was set into the floor, a great heavy piece of wood with a thin layer of stone tiles over it. It wasn't meant to be opened by a single man, though the burly priest expected he would be able to do so. Grabbing the metal ring, he pulled, strained, and got only the faintest of grating sounds.

"May I try?" The voice came from right at his shoulder, and the priest let out a startled yelp, diving for his axe, and turning to see a wide-eyed vampire frozen in place. They stared at each other for a few moments, and with a chuckle at the situation, the priest relaxed, letting the axe droop. If the vampire had actually meant to harm him, it could have done so before he realized it was there, rather than speaking. Reacting to it as a threat NOW was simply foolish, and he shook his head slightly at his folly before speaking to the vampire. Seeing him relax and the fear and anger be replaced by a self-concious amusement, the vampire relaxed, too.

"It's very heavy. Together, we might be able to shift it." The vampire was so slight he didn't think it would be able to do much assisting, but he'd nearly had it lifted himself. That little bit of assistance might be all he needed to get the crypt open. "Take the ring on that side, and when I lift, pull it up. It will swing up and backwards until the chain stops it. When the chain is tight, release it."

The vampire looked ready to object, but simply shut its mouth and nodded. Grasping the ring beside those thin white hands, the priest prepared to pull. With a deep breath, he heaved...and fell over backwards. The vampire's forehead furrowed in confusion, but he continued to easily lift the massive door until the chain prevented it from moving further.

Seeing the expression on the priest's face, the vampire hurried to explain. Did it think he was going to be angry? "Vampires are stronger than people. I'm sorry." Yes, it did think he was angry, but the priest was not the sort to respond in anger. Instead, he gave the vampire a small smile.

"Considering how heavy that door is, that is not a bad thing at all. Thank you for your assistance." The vampire relaxed again, giving him a small smile, oddly pleased with the praise. "Take the bedding and go down the stairs, I'll follow." The vampire bent gracefully to scoop up the small pile, and went down the dark steps into the black pit. The skin seemed to glow from that blackness, and the eyes, when he looked back up at the priest, were glowing red. Knowing that it wasn't simply an albino made the priest wonder if it didn't actually glow...

It didn't take long to get the vampire's small bed made up. Father Jacobs put down his axe to assemble the dusty and rickety cot without a second thought. The crypt was old, dry, dusty, with the faint smell of decay as the ancient bones rotted away. It had been decades, centuries, since anyone was interred in the crypt, and while unpleasant it was not as foul as the priest had feared. The vampire relaxed, out and away from the church and the altar.

"You like it here?" He had to ask, it was such a bizarre place to want to rest.

A shrug. "I am dead, and a crypt is where I belong." A glance up the steps. "It is better than the church, and darker than a house. Dark, quiet...it is a good place to rest."

Unbelievably odd. He hoped fervently he could contact Godalming or Seward during the day, because he desperately wanted to discuss this find with them. No one else would ever believe him. Lost in his musings over how truly bizarre this night had been, he didn't pay attention to the cot.

And it snapped up at him, pinching the pad at the base of his thumb, cutting a deep gouge in it. With a grunt of pain, he jerked his hand up, pushing down on the palm with his other hand, the cot clattering down beside him, forgotten in the pain from his injury. He was bleeding, how bad was it?

Kneeling by the lantern, he pulled his hand away, seeing the torn flesh. Bad, but not down to the bone. Bleeding heavily, tho...

Oh, no.

The vampire's mouth hung open, panting slightly, as flaming red eyes focused on the wound. A lick of the lips and an audible swallow, then the faintest of whines. A frightened moment passed, then another...and it became clear that, as much as the vampire clearly wanted the blood, he wouldn't take it. Tense shoulders unknotting, the priest spoke slowly and carefully to the distracted monster.

"Wait here. I've got to rinse and bandage it." Rising, he backed slowly away from the hyper-focused monster.

And it whined at him. "Please...so hungry. A taste? Just...a lick?"

"No...no, Alucard. No." A few more steps towards the safety of the stairs, and suddenly the vampire darted forward. He gasped, but the vampire wasn't going for him...but licking the trace of blood off the hinge of the cot, tongue working busily to remove every last trace. Even the stone floor, dusty though it was, was swiped clean of the smear of blood within seconds.

And when the vampire raised its dirt-smeared, embarrased, still-hungry face to him, the priest relented. If it was so hungry as to be licking the dirt floor... How could he waste the blood in a bandage. Extending his hand, he spoke gently to the vampire. "Only lick it. No biting." The other hand wrapped cautiously around the axe handle.

It was an unnecessary caution. The vampire moved forward quickly, eyes focused on his hand...but took it gently in its own chilly white one. The tongue darted out, gently cleaning the blood around the wound, then tracing over the wound itself. The vampire moaned, eyes half-closed in obvious pleasure, tongue tracing over the gash again, and again, and a fourth time...then stopping. With a sigh of regret, the vampire released his hand, momentarily rubbing its cheek across the palm in appreciation. Gently, Father Jacobs pulled his hand back, looking at the wound...to find it gone. Barely a trace remained, only the slightest of scars from a wound he thought the doctor might need to stitch. How?

"How...it's healed. How?"

The vampire tilted its head, smiling slightly at him, pleased. "Vampires can heal injuries." He grinned, frightening with the sharp points so visible and the slightest smear of blood on them, but not threatening at all. "Can't have people walking around with bite marks, they wouldn't let us have a second meal ever again!" It chuckled to itself.

Second meal? People let vampires eat from them, willingly? It was simply more then he wanted to deal with that evening. The vampire was brighter-eyed, certainly more energetic, definitely more coherent and verbal...all that from a few teaspoons of blood?


	19. Chapter 19

Church ch 3

(I know, I know...he's still wearing those bracelets. Maybe next chapter)

It was with a sense of shocked bemusement that Father Jacobs finished preparing his unusual guest's bed. The vampire had watched the cot for several moments, an odd, unreadable expression on his face, before finally stretching out to sleep. The head nestled into the pillow, and a look of startled pleasure flashed across it.

He'd planned on restraining the vampire, tying the hands and feet, and keeping it restrained, but really, what was the point? After seeing the vampire lift the heavy trap door, he doubted that a few strips of leather would hold it, no matter how well knotted they might be. And if the vampire had been interested in killing, it would be out there doing so now, not preparing to sleep in the crypt. So instead of wasting effort restraining it, he simply lit a candle, placing the lit candle and a spare near the cot, leaving a few matches nearby. The hoof trimmers he'd planned to use on the cursed bracelets were nearby, but he wasn't going to bother with those tonight. He was tired, too, and they were not a priority. Settling the vampire down and then sending off the telegrams WAS.

"If you want a bit of light, this will do." He fixed a stern gaze on the vampire. "Don't leave the crypt. I won't have you wandering about and scaring people, and I've got to see about finding Van Helsing today. I'll come check on you later. When will you be awake?"

The vampire had already fallen half-asleep, but blinked itself alert, thinking a bit. "At dusk. Sunset. Not before, or not by much." It stretched and yawned, great teeth flashing in the dim light, drawing cold fingers up the priest's spine at the sight. Nestling into the pillow again, it mumbled a quiet "thank you."

With a chuckle to himself at how quickly it had gone from frightening to harmless, the priest shook out the blanket. It was old and tattered, but the crypts were dirty and he was reluctant to use his better spare blanket in them. With a quick flick, he settled it over the monster, tucking it about its shoulders as it stared at him in sleepy surprise.

Heading back up the stairs, unused leather strips coiled in his hands, he could have sworn he heard the beast purr.

x x x x x x x

So odd. Comfortable. When had he last had a pillow, a blanket, and not been sharing a bed with a human? For that matter, when had someone tucked him in, seen to his well-being?

Possibly not since he died, possibly long before. Sleeping...ON a cot. Not under, not in, but ON. It wasn't his coffin, but at that thought, he clenched in fear. No, not his coffin, not, not!

Shuddering, he forced himself to relax. He was safe here. SAFE. Relax, calm. Yes.

Why? The priest knew he was evil, though the burn on his forehead was fading. He'd been dirty, bloody, incoherent when the man found him, but he'd been spared.

Spared...and then provided for.

And the BLOOD. Oh, it had been wonderful. Hot, spicy, fresh, incredible and filling in a way that cold and clotted blood could never be. That small taste of willingly given, burningly hot fresh blood had done more for him than mouthfuls of the cold bottles Abraham provided.

Abraham...where was his Master? And, as importantly, did he want Abraham to find him?

Well...Yes. The man had his coffin, his earth. And just as importantly, the vampire admitted to himself with a bitter acceptance, he wasn't able to exist and care for himself. Obtaining a house, establishing an existence, courting and seducing women, controlling servants...he wouldn't even be able to leave the crypt without panicking.

Even if he had his coffin and his earth, he couldn't use them, couldn't force himself to sleep in the coffin. He'd be always exhausted, suffering from nightmares, incapable of thought or caring for himself. Even if he weren't exhauted, he still would not be functional. Unexpected noises, loud lights, angry people...he was too prone to panic, to mindless fear. Even the vaguest of threats turned him into a gibbering fool.

Now, fed, safe, secure, and under the guardianship of the priest, he was regaining his intellectual functions. And the thought of his coffin still scared him silly. He was broken, broken beyond repair, and if abandoned by Abraham he'd be mindless, starving, and miserable immediately.

If Abraham abandoned him...would he even be able to feed himself? After all, nearby there was a single human, no one else about, unarmed but for the axe, with blood he already knew would be hot, sweet. The corpse could be hidden down here in the crypt, undiscovered for possibly months or years. His mouth watered at the thought...and then froze as he pictured the priest, angry, turning to him, mouth opened to shout, hand raised...

NO! NO no no no! The vampire found himself panting again, shivering, ghosts of his past and his nightmares wrapped about his mind. He couldn't, he couldn't...Safe here. Safe. Priest was Safety.

Yes...safe...relax. Safe. He unclenched his hands, aware that his claws had nearly punctured them, unhunched his shoulders.

No...he wouldn't eat the priest. He needed him. And if he ate anyone else...Abraham would be furious.

Abraham had found him in England, tracked him across the waters and trains and through the mountains of his own home, destroyed his castle, pulled him from his coffin, and staked him. Now, instead of his own well-known lands, he was in England. He was a stranger here, only the vaguest knowledge of the customs of the people, the layout of the land. A visitor only. Abraham was not.

If Abraham could find him in the wild lands of his own Romania...he would find him easily in England. And if he ate a human, hunted, and Abraham found him and found out...the man knew how to hurt him. And was ruthless enough to do it. Even a few moments back in the coffin would not be worth the greatest bloodiest feast!

No. He could not leave to find Abraham himself. He'd panic, and find himself farther away and more lost when he came to his senses. But he needed Abraham. He would wait. Here, he was safe. Fed. Sheltered. Protected. It was dark here...and he reached out a long hand to snuff the last candle, knocking it over, watching it gutter and die. The solid black darkness of the crypt surrounded him.

Dark. Safe. Comforting.

He'd wait. Abraham would find him.

He could only hope that Master would not be too angry when he did.

The pillow was soft. Pillow...he ought to ask Abraham for one. It was...nice. Vaguely scented with the odors of men. The blanket concealed him, and a little wriggle of his shoulders brought it over his head. Not as safe and contained as his coffin had been...but not scary, either. Hidden...comfortable...safe...dark.

There would be nightmares, and he dreaded them. But there would also be deep sleep, for here he could relax.

Vampires belonged in crypts. It wasn't his...but...

He slept. 


	20. Chapter 20

Church Chapter 4

(I went ahead and started breaking it up into chapters again. People were saying they wanted to review but couldn't leave a second review on the same chapter! So expect several short ones instead.)

Abraham WAS furious.

Furious at his friends, that had cost him his vampire. He'd woken in his own bed, leg set and splinted by Seward, bandage on his head, and his first words had been, "Where is Alucard?"

The whole sorry debacle was laid in front of them and he had to resist the urge to scream at them. They'd chased the vampire away! Not just frightened it, but actually injured it. And the worst, the very worst part, was the bit of twisted metal in front of him.

The vampire was entirely uncontrolled. Those wrist bands were only supplemental to the collar, and provided only minor levels of control. Alucard could likely ignore them if he wanted to, they were next to useless without the main collar. Well, perhaps not. The vampire had been wearing them for months now, including nearly three weeks while he was concious. There was a small chance that they'd become more effective as the vampire was exposed to them, and he had to hope to Hell that this was the case. Otherwise, he expected to start finding stories of dead, drained bodies in the papers.

To make matters even worse, he himself was unable to go looking for the beast, to hunt it down again. Seward had told him that he'd broken...no. Broken implied a clean break. The bones of his lower leg were shattered. They'd taken him in to surgery at the asylum while he was still unconcious, and his leg bore a heavy splint. They'd forbore a cast, because they needed to check on it. All three expected he'd lose the leg.

And with his head injury and shattered leg, he was dosed heavily with morphine.

"If I still want to strangle those bastards and I'm on morphine, they'd better be damn glad I'm on it." This was his bitter thought as he looked towards the two men who'd landed him in this predicament. If they'd only simply told the vampire to wait, or called it to them, it would probably have obeyed. Lunging at it, shouting, shooting...he was entirely unsurprised the vampire had fled. Fighting down his anger, he organized his friends.

"Bring Mina and Johnathan here, equip them and yourselves for the hunt. Get the pistols, stakes, and other items out of storage. John, you know where they are kept. I need you to fan out along the direction he was running. Ask each house, each home, if they saw him." It was not enough, nowhere near enough. The vampire could be anywhere. "Do not mention that he's a vampire. Only say he's a madman, escaped from the asylum, that could be dangerous. Make sure they know how to contact any one of us. Once you are a mile or so out, if no one has seen him, simply start warning and passing the information along." He sighed, leaning back against the pillows of his bed, feeling tired and old for the first time in a very long time. "Check places he's been before. The asylum, John. Warn them and have your staff fortify against him before you return here. Mine will be doing the same here. The Abbey, check there. Dear God, send a telegram to Lucy's family, warn the Westenras about this." His tired, but icy, eyes fixed on each of them. "And for the love of all you hold dear, be back here before dark."

He needed to be out there, with them. Damn the leg, too shattered and damaged for him to be mobile. The medicine that let him deal with the pain would have him falling off a horse or out of a wagon if he tried to sit, near useless in dealing with Alucard.

No, not Alucard. He was desperately afraid they were now dealing with Dracula. 


	21. Chapter 21

Church 5

Disheartening, that's what it was.

They'd gone all night without sleep, racing to take Abraham to the surgery, getting him home, barricading the house against a potentially furious and vengeful vampire. Once awake, Abraham hadn't screamed at them, hadn't ranted and cursed them, but it was clearly only due to the effort of substantial willpower and heavy painkillers that he had been able to refrain.

They'd taken a pair of horses, and gone immediately to the Harkers. Mina and Johnathan were handling the homes to the east, Seward and Godalming to the west.

By noon, they'd been "talked to" by a pair of constables, who had seemed ready to arrest THEM for being crazy until John produced his license and convinced them that he didn't belong in the asylum, he ran it. They were on the lookout for a crazed albino who attacked and bit women, and had nearly killed someone previously...at least, John hoped they were. It was the most realistic warning they could contact in the huddled debate before the two teams had left Abraham's house.

At the least, if the locals encountered Alucard (Dracula, now?) they'd know who to contact.

As they got further and further from Van Helsing's estate, they stopped asking if anyone had seen the vampire...instead, they warned. Warned of a crazy person with red eyes, violently and criminally insane, but who, in his madness, was convinced he was a vampire instead of a mere albino. That meant that he could potentially be driven off with holy symbols and garlic, if the people wielding them could be convincing enough. His madness also made him very strong and reckless, willing to ignore a gun or a knife. They might not be able to convince people that a vampire was hunting them, but they might be able to convince them of a bizarre madman.

It was a ridiculous story, and both men felt a fool as they told one skeptical housewife after another this story. If John hadn't been the doctor at the asylum and Godalming a respected Lord, it would have gone worse. As it was, they raced to contact all the little towns and scattered homes along the direction the vampire had fled, and simply hoped that it had continued to run that direction.

If it had turned aside, their preparations were in vain.

Lacking time, telegrams were sent to the asylum and to the Westenras, warning them and advising them of what to do. These could be more open, though the men still had to conceal the actual content. Had they sent a telegram detailing how to prevent the vampire from entry into the homes and warning that the vampire was now at large, the telegraph office wouldn't have sent it. Instead, they'd have sent for the local constabulary to arrest the crazy men. But a warning could still be sent.

And so they found themselves in telegraph offices, sending information to the asylum, the Westenras, even Arthur's own home. The telegraph boy looked faintly amused as he entered in their little speech.

"Count Dracula is back in England and may be stopping by for a visit. Please prepare for his arrival, possibly as soon as tonight. Remember his sensitivity to garlic and how it can prevent him from enjoying his dinner. I recommend showing him any religious items you may have, he has an unusual interest in such things."

They simply hoped it was enough information; the telegram was far wordier than the typical one, but even reduced to the simplified form of a telegram, it still conveyed the information.

"Count Dracula back in England. May visit by tonight. Remember sensitive to garlic, interest in religious items."

The boy showed them the reduced form, and after a short debate, they sent it as written, adding on to the end, "Contact at Van Helsing's tonight."

Then off to ride again, going from house to house, wearing out their horses and their patience. As the sun began to drop, they turned, forcing the tired horses into a canter, to reach the asylum and then Van Helsing before dark. The asylum, to make sure it was fortified against the beast...and then Van Helsing to huddle in protective safety until dawn.

x x x x x x x x

Seward's cursing left Arthur gaping in shock for a moment. As soon as they'd entered the gates of the asylum, an assistant had rushed out to them with a handful of telegrams. After reading them himself, Seward thrust them at Arthur, sitting on his horse, near tears. After a few moments, Arthur felt the same.

If only they'd come to the asylum first, they could have had the vampire safe and captive already. The first telegram, timed from early that morning, stated that an "Alucard" was staying with Father Jacobs, and an address. Plus a request that they contact him soonest and possibly return Alucard to the Van Helsing estate.

Another telegram had come from Arthur's estate. The estate had received the same information, the same telegram, and had attempted to reach Arthur at the asylum.

A telegram later that afternoon, from the same priest, wondering where they were and when they'd arrive, asking for the contact information for Van Helsing so that a telegram could be sent to him.

The vampire would be awake and active in the next hour. There was no chance to reach him, now, before dark. Had they simply checked in, a single time, with their respective homes, they could have spared themselves an exhausting day and captured the vampire while it was weak.

They were horrified at this, dispirited that their entire day of effort had failed to accomplish a single thing other than household gossip at their expense, disgusted that through their foolishness, not only had the vampire escaped but they had lost their chance to capture it.

And so, they rested only briefly, checking on the preparations (garlic on windows, crosses around necks) that the doctors and keepers had already managed, then mounted their tired horses to spur them on to Van Helsing...where they would report on their continuous failure to Van Helsing himself. 


	22. Chapter 22

Church 6

Arthur's carriage rattled through the night. It was an expensive carriage, pulled by four lovely, fast, matching horses, with tall, slender wheels, multiple springs, and thick cushioned seats for a fast and comfortable ride. It was large, too, able to accomodate multiple ladies with their enormous skirts.

Right now, it was heading for the church and the home of a certain priest, and it held only three men; Arthur, John, and Abraham. And a large, black coffin, plus a half-dozen suspiciously red bottles clinking in their wire carriers. Mina and Johnathan had opted not to go. If worst came to worst, then they'd still be alive to hunt the Count. He wished he could have sent a telegram, but it was too late, and the telegram office nearest the priest had closed for the night.

Despite its impressive underpinnings, it was still a carriage, and the roads were still roads. It bumped and rattled, and within a half-mile of this, Abraham was grey-faced and coated with sweat. Morphine helped, helped tremendously, but there was only so much morphine he could take. His splinted, shattered leg was propped on the opposite seat, and he gritted his teeth against every stabbing pain as his leg shifted at each bounce, jounce, and jar of the coach. He'd brought the remains of the collar and the familiar leash, but he had no real hope that Count Dracula would allow them anywhere near his proud neck.

It would be past midnight by the time they reached the priest.

Or what was left of him.

x x x x x x x x

Two red eyes cracked open, and Alucard eased awake. Where was he? His coffin? A worried whine ended immediately as he began to remember the events of the night before. A pale tongue flicked over bloodless lips, and he glanced at the floor, hoping to see maybe one missed drop or speck of blood.

He was so hungry. He had gotten one bottle before they went outside, but the injuries...

A pale hand ghosted up to his neck. Smooth, yes, the skin was now healed. Arm? Yes, also healed. But the hair that drifted in front of his eyes was now light gray.

Yes, it had gone to heal him. And oh, that fresh, hot blood! Wonderful, wonderful...but only a taste. A mouthful at most. So good, but so little. No doubt it was why he was entirely healed and not starved, even after his prolonged flight of the night before, but it was long since used-up and gone.

Had he been safe all day? A tentative sniff...no other scents, nothing but the fading scent of the priest, hours and hours old. He HAD been left alone, safe in the crypt, the entire day. A long stretch, an indulgence of relaxation. Safe, he was safe here. Priest would protect him, did protect him.

If only he had blood, he could wait here for Master! But he needed to feed.

Sitting up, Alucard folded the blanket, swinging his legs over the edge of the cot. After a few moments, he moved to the stairs, sitting near the bottom and resting his back against the wall. More comfortable than the cot, he let his mind drift for a bit, pondering what he could do.

He could leave and find the priest...but he'd been told to wait. And so he did. His time sense told him it was just past sunset, the priest would arrive any time, he wasn't late, he hadn't abandoned the vampire. Safe, dark, quiet...Alucard let his eyes drift shut as he relaxed.

x x x x x x

Father Jacobs was not in a good mood. He'd sent off over a half-dozen telegrams today, asked everyone and anyone he could think of if they knew a Van Helsing, debated going to the asylum himself. But his pony was old and slow, and it would take the entire day to go there and back. On his trips there, he simply drove to the bishop's home, and took the man's fine mare to the asylum. There was no time to make such arrangements today, and instead, he paced constantly, waiting for a reply telegram or the arrival of one of the men he'd contacted, even the mysterious Van Helsing himself. He had gone through the day hoping that by nightfall, he'd be rid of the monster in the crypt. It had burned on his crucifix, drank him blood...no matter how unprepossessing it seemed, how reticent and mad and frightened, it was an evil blood-drinking monster. He rued slightly that he hadn't simply gone down and killed it during the day, and had considered it. But what would Van Helsing say if he was alive, and arrived to take the vampire home, and it was dead? And he was also stopped by a simple memory...the trust the vampire had shown as it fell asleep in his presence.

No, he couldn't kill it. And with the sun set and the sky darkening to deep blue then black, it was time to retrieve the monster from the crypt.

x x x x x x x

The vampire heard the footsteps crossing the church floor above him, red eyes tracking their movement. Probably the priest. Maybe not. Hunched a bit, he prepared to run, to hide himself among the dozen or so dusty caskets and remains, to crouch hidden in the darkest corner of the room. The great metal ring was lifted with a shifting crunch, and he balanced on the balls of his feet, preparing to run.

"Are you going to help lift this, or not?" The priest's voice was grumpy, irritated, and with a timid duck of his head Alucard sped up the stairs to lift the door.

Oh, he'd angered the priest, should have been ready to lift the door. The man couldn't lift it himself. How angry was he?

Worried, whining softly, he lifted the door up. Catching sight of the scowling priest, he ducked, nearly closing the door on himself. Nearly. He realized what he was doing, and without taking his eyes from the man, he lifted the door to its fully opened position.

x x x x x x

It was SCARED of him? That was the only explanation Father Jacobs could come up with; the body language of the vampire screamed fear. It was crouched down, pressed slightly against the side of the stairwell, not yet even in the room, huddled. Red eyes were wide and watching every move he made. Testing this, he abruptly raised a hand...to watch the vampire jerk away, nearly falling down the stairs, and crouch even lower with a pitiful whine.

It was mad. He'd almost forgotten how mad, how pitiful it had been when it arrived. It had taken time, the night before, for it to calm, to begin speaking to him.

Soothingly, he gently urged it up out of the stairwell, calling it to follow him to the house. With a second thought, he stepped around it, going down to retrieve the blanket and pillow. The cot could wait. Returning, he stooped to take the vampire's hand and lead it like a child to the house, only to have the hand swiftly dart out of reach, and the vampire ease slightly away from him.

How odd.

But it responded to his coaxing, and before long, he was preparing a snack of warm sliced bread and cheese for himself, the vampire sitting in the same spot by the door it had been in the previous night. It seemed content to be quiet, following his directions easily, but not wanting to converse.

He took his bread and cheese to the table, and was surprised when the vampire rose to follow him, settling down against the side of his chair. 


	23. Chapter 23

Church 7

(and yes, I'm assuming that because he was in Romania, far away, and already dead, that Dracula didn't know about the Spanish Inquisition, when priests and religious figures DID torture, maim, and kill those they were supposed to lead and protect. He was dead and gone by the time the Inquisitors really took off...they made much of what he did look tame.)

Quiet, safe. If he wasn't so hungry, he'd be content. But he was hungry, and there had been enough nightmares that he was still tired. The room was warm, not uncomfortably so, but to a vampire used to cold crypts and chill dungeons, it was warm. The priest wasn't demanding anything of him, was leaving him alone, and Alucard felt himself relax farther. It was much like being with Abraham, when he wasn't interogating him! When Abraham was working, or eating, or otherwise occupied, and he felt safe, alone in a room with just his Master for company.

Curling up by the chair felt the same, though there was no blood for himself. Only the quiet sounds of a man eating. And so he nearly drowsed himself, arms relaxing from their grip around his knees and falling to the floor.

x x x x x x

It was the "chink" as the vampire's arms relaxed that caught Father Jacobs' attention. Those bracelets...he'd nearly forgotten them. But as works of the Devil, they needed to be removed, destroyed if possible. He'd take them to the village blacksmith, have them beaten down to metal lumps, see if he could remove the taint of black magic from them. But first, he'd have to get them off the vampire.

Finishing his last bite of bread, he pushed his chair backwards, rising. Feeling the chair move, the vampire pulled away from it, head tilting to watch the priest curiously. The hoof trimmers lay with the candle and bedding he'd hauled up from the crypt, and within a few moments of rising he'd picked them up and returned.

Calm, sleepy red eyes watched him, widening slightly as he approached, then near-closing again as the priest sat. Then he turned the chair to face the vampire, leaned forward, and reached out with one hand, hoof trimmers in the other.

"Give me your hand."

xx xx x x x x

The instructions weren't shouted, there was no threat, just the clear communication that the vampire had been given instructions and the expectation that those instructions would be followed. Skin crawling at the expectation of human touch, hating every bit of it for complex reasons and dread that he could not himself explain, he reluctantly placed his hand in the priest's. And then the priest lifted the hoof trimmers.

NO NO NO NO! With a shriek, Alucard went flying backwards, racing to huddle in the corner by the fireplace, hissing at the priest. Heavy shears and his hand...his mind could come up with only one reason for the priest to be doing this, and he had no intention of letting a human torture him again, of letting someone maim his body to match his maimed mind. At the same time, though, this was a Priest. A priest. Safety. Priest. Priests did not torture those they protected. And the man didn't seem angry, only frustrated. And so, instead of making a dash for the window or door, Alucard simply hunched, keening his fear.

x x x x x x

The quiet, near-somnolent vampire had suddenly been replaced by a hissing demon, snarling at him from out of the corner, then keening in ear-piercing ululations.

"I knew I should have destroyed him," thought the priest, "it's too evil to want any of its devil trappings removed!" Speaking aloud, he warned the vampire, "I'm taking those devil-work bracelets from you, and if you resist, it's the wrath of God you'll be feeling, demon." The monster's agitation slowly faded as he stared at it, and then the head tilted slightly. He WOULD be taking those bracelets off; if the monster reacted so strongly to wanting them removed, they were evil indeed. With the rosary on his neck and the heavy mass of trimmers in his hand, a fine blunt instrument all on their own, he was ready to take on the vampire.

What he wasn't ready for was the vampire's next words, spoken in a timid, confused, nearly hopeful voice.

"Fingers?"

"What do you mean, fingers? I'm taking the damn bracelets, and you won't be giving me fingers instead to trade for them!" Even terrified, the devil would try to bargain!

And then it hit him, what he'd done.

Oh, blessed Saint Peter, the creature must have thought he was going to cut off its fingers. It had no idea he wanted the bracelets.

He was such an ass to the frightened creature, and so unknowingly and unintentionally. And so, instead of standing and looming at it, he sat down. Frightened dogs, frightened children, and he suspected frightened and mad vampires, were more at ease when he sat. And so he sat, and put down the trimmers, and spoke gently to the terrified creature.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Your fingers are safe, I don't want them and you can keep them, intact and attached. I am going to cut off your bracelets." To his amusement, after a few moments of silence, the vampire's hands reappeared, no longer tucked up under its arms. It watched him warily, but relaxing. "Just the bracelets. Come, sit by me, and that's all we'll do. Cut the bracelets off, nothing more."

It whined at him, shifting side to side, clearly still confused and frightened. He sat for several more minutes, watching the vampire calmly as the stove burned and he sipped the last of his water. Eventually, it ceased shifting, eyes watching him carefully.

"Not fingers?" Distrustful, disbelieving, but...hopeful.

"Not fingers. Never fingers." Reassuring, calm. Dear Mary Mother of God, how was he in his kitchen, sitting down, convincing a demon he wasn't going to cut off its fingers? The sheer absurdity of the situation hit him, and he tried to stifle the laugh, turning it into a cough as he inhaled the water. The cough turned severe as he choked and wheezed for a minute, clearing the liquid from his lungs. Looking up through watering eyes, he found the vampire halfway to him, a look of concern on its face.

"I just inhaled a bit of water. I'm fine." A cough took him again, but the last of it, and he was shortly sitting up, wiping his eyes. The vampire sat beside him, red eyes fixed on his face. "Now, let's see those bracelets."

He extended his hand, palm up, and waited. And the patience paid off, for he found the cold, smooth wrist of the vampire resting in his hand. A few moments of twisting the band about, and he found himself frowning. Those symbols were no language he'd ever seen, pagan at best and blasphemous at worst. There was a cross, yes, but without context that he could interpret, it was most likely inverted and Satanic. He lifted the heavy shears, hearing a whimpering intake of breath, seeing the vampire tense next to him.

He caught the thin band of metal at the end of the shears, and with a solid squeeze...off it snipped. He pulled it away from the vampire, as the creature eyed it mournfully. The thin white hand, now bare of ornament, wrapped around the wrist and protectively concealed the remaining band. Those sad red eyes begged him...but he wasn't having those bands in his house.

"The other band, now." Solid, firm, and demanding, and the vampire reluctantly yielded. A solid snip, and the second cursed band hit the floor, the vampire whimpering quietly, eyes now closed. "All done, you see. You'll have no more of the Devil's work on you, not in my home, not in my church." With a shaky sigh, the vampire pulled away from him, going to curl up in the corner, and turning his back on the priest. 


	24. Chapter 24

Church 8

While the monster sulked, Father Jacob was able to take a closer look at those bands. There was an inscription on the inside, too, but nothing he'd been able to read while the vampire was wearing them. Idly, he touched his rosary to them, wondering if the touch of holiness would affect them, and was almost disappointed when nothing happened. Picking up the thin strips and sitting back at the table, he held them up to the lights and gave them a closer inspection.

The words on the inside were actual words, Latin, Greek, a bit of German or some related language, mixed in with symbols, some familiar and some not. His German was nonexistent and his Latin a bit rusty, and he and Greek had ended their acquaintance as soon as he left the seminary...but he could read these inscriptions, puzzle them out a it. And after puzzling them out, he turned to stare at the vampire, face pale.

Near as he could tell, the phrases subjugated the vampire to humans, and ordered it not to hurt them.

These were more likely to have been Van Helsing's controls than the Devil's work.

And they were now broken and sitting in front of him.

x x x x x x x x

He felt...bare...without the bracelets. They were Van Helsing's mark of, well, ownership. A sign that he was not some random stray monster, but under the protection of a powerful man. Removing them had pulled the last wisps of power away from him, left him feeling uncontrolled, at loose ends...abandoned.

He'd been too frightened to tell the priest no, but he missed his bracelets. And Abraham would be so angry. He'd lost his collar...and then let the priest remove the bracelets. Would Master trust him still? Would Master destroy him? Put him...the coffin...NO!

Curling into a ball, he sobbed. Master could not control him, Master would kill him. Kill him, or seal him in the coffin. He should not have let the man take his bracelets, should not have.

x x x x x x x

Watching the vampire sob, the priest felt himself relax a little. This wasn't an angry, freed demon bent on rampage; it was still the same lost, broken man that had appeared on his church steps. He still had his rosary, and his faith...the vampire hadn't posed a threat to him yet, though he had clearly upset the vampire. And so fear faded into confidence, and that changed slowly into guilt at the clear sorrow and fear of the beast. It was weeping quietly, fingers knotted in its hair, rocking back and forth, terribly, terribly upset.

And guilt drove him to soothe it, kneeling beside the keening beast, speaking gently. Nonsense, really, but the vampire eventually uncoiled as he told it that it was alright, he was there, he wasn't leaving. And the vampire's response was to ask if he would tell Master that he'd taken off the bracelets, and not the vampire.

His reassurance relaxed the vampire, and he wondered again how it could be so terrified of the man and yet so hopeful that Abraham would find him again. Even so, the vampire didn't fully relax. The tears had been bloody, and the hair was now white, not a trace of color in it. The slender body, already too skinny, was now nearing emaciation, the face looking old and lined. And he wondered.

"Are you hungry?" The vampire froze, and a long slow heartbeat passed before it nodded at him.

x x x x x x

Hungry? The hunger roared inside him, and he realized with sudden clarity that he COULD eat the priest. Abraham no longer controlled him, and a battle ensued inside him, his hunger raging to tear out the throat, the thinking part of him, so damaged, roaring at it to stop, that it would get him destroyed. Abraham would find him, would know he ate the priest, and would...no no no! Not think of that! No! and the hunger fled, the vampire crouching in fear, panting, reassuring himself that he would not eat the priest. Would not eat! Abraham not angry, not eat priest, no. No. Good. Yes. Good. Safe. Good to be safe, good that Abraham not angry. And if he ate priest...Abraham would not know that he had not removed the bracelets, would be very angry. Priest must be kept safe!

With this reasoning, the internal battle ebbed, and the vampire opened his eyes again to see the priest sitting back at the table yet again.

"Come here, Alucard."

x x x x x x x x

Asking if it was hungry had unleashed an absolute maelstorm of emotions. Unstable didn't even begin to describe the poor creature, but what was clear was that it was drooling. "Hungry" was apparently an understatement. It came to sit by him, and he spoke to it, gently.

"You can't eat the bread and cheese at all?" How easy it would be if the creature could do so. But the shaggy white head shook in negation, though the vampire was silent and watching the floor.

"Animal blood? Not even a little?" Again, the head shake, no.

It was hungry, and in his blood was the ability to feed it. And if he hadn't removed those bracelets, it wouldn't be in such poor condition. It had cried out blood it clearly couldn't spare. But the thought of those fangs...not to be borne. He could, though, cut himself as he'd done last night. That little bit of blood had helped the beast so much. And while he didn't enjoy the thought of injuring himself, the vampire had healed it so rapidly...

"If I cut myself again, and give you a bit of blood, would you heal the wound?" Shocked red eyes turned to look up at him, and the vampire nodded frantically, those red eyes remaining fixed on his own. Clearly, the vampire wanted him to feed it, and he could feel the oddest urge to do so. He looked away from the beast, rising to get his sharp paring knife, and as he looked away he felt the urge lessen. It might have something to do with the vampire, but he'd determine that later.

The red eyes watched intensely as he seated himself, then made a shallow cut across the base of his thumb. His left hand, this time, so that if the vampire didn't heal it, it wouldn't be too awkward to bandage and not use. The vampire continued to drool, but as soon as his hand was in front of its face, the head darted forward and cool lips closed about the cut.

Last time, the vampire had only licked. This time...it sucked gently on the wound. It should have been painful, but it wasn't, not at all. The minutes ticked past, the vampire gently nursing the cut, the priest watching it carefully. The beast started to purr, startling him, but it was so like a cat in the sound...and a gentle hand lifted the thin white hair to see the eyes closed in deep pleasure.

How much blood was it taking? Before he could begin to worry, the mouth pulled back, the tongue swiping at the wound, picking up traces of blood around it.

The hair darkened, still gray but now a dark steel-gray, not the thin white or the soft gray it had been. The beast was still skeletal, but sense had returned to its eyes.

"I only took enough to restore myself...you might be a bit dizzy." It looked at him, thinking again. "Do you have any water left to drink? It will help." When he motioned to the pitcher on the cabinet and rose to refill his cup, the vampire surprised him, rising fluidly, scooping up the cup, and crossing the kitchen to fill it and return it.

The water did help, and over a few minutes, the dizziness faded. The vampire was once again curled against the chair, looking utterly relaxed, and he, too, relaxed. Evil it might be in nature, but it didn't act evil. And it was by its actions that he judged it, and found that he was content to have it there. Mad, frightened, lost...it needed him, and it had not taken advantage of his weakness or his offer, not at all. Obedient, timid...it was not a ravening monster to destroy.

He had been correct to keep it. And he relaxed back in the chair, watching the beast at his feet, pondering the events of the evening. 


	25. Chapter 25

Church 9

Father Jacobs, out of respect for his nocturnal and unusual "guest", had chosen to stay up much later than usual. Normally, at an hour or so past sunset, he would be going to sleep, and rising slightly before dawn. But with a vampire, he had elected to stay up and keep it company far beyond his normal time of sleep. He'd grabbed a few short naps during the day in between telegrams and conversations, but he was still so tired, and so very glad that he had another day before having to give a Mass. Had this happened on a Mass day, or during the time when he prepared children for First Communion, he'd have been in a great deal of sleepy discomfort.

At least the vampire's visit had been at a convenient time. Even so, he was drowsy, falling asleep in his chair by the warm stove with a bloodsucking evil monster beside him. The vampire hadn't said much of anything after eating, but had taken the pillow and stretched out on the floor beside him. A niggling voice in the back of the priest's head told him that it was just waiting for him to sleep so that it could eat him...and that was keeping him from falling completely asleep.

And only that. With a sigh, he rose from the chair to fetch a book. He didn't have a great deal of reading material in the house, but with an unholy vampire staying with him, he felt a few hours with the Good Book would not be remiss. And, it would keep him awake.

Red eyes opened to watch him leave, but the vampire stayed stretched on the floor, clearly content and comfortable, cheek resting on the pillow. It was only a moment to take the Bible from his bedside, and a second thought had him lifting the vampire's blanket from beside the door. He tossed it casually over the vampire as he sat again, and watched the vampire squirm under it until the entire monster was covered, only the red eyes visible as they watched him under a flap of the cloth.

x x x x x x x

He'd tried to speak with it after it had eaten, for it was coherent again. Unfortunately, that hadn't lasted. He'd asked if it knew how to get home, only to find it entirely lost. The vampire had admitted rather sheepishly that it didn't know how far it had run, or even what direction it had come from. It didn't know the name of the place where it had lived, but it had describe a small manor or large and wealthy farmhouse. There were a dozen or more of those within easy riding distance of the church, and who knew how many more slightly farther out. If absolutely necessary, he thought he could probably track down where the beast had come from. But he'd rather its owner show up to claim it first.

He'd then asked if it thought Abraham Van Helsing was still alive, if the man was likely to come for the vampire, how he would find it, and it had gotten upset, deeply dismayed by the questions. And so he'd asked it about John Seward, and Lord Godalming. After all, he'd sent telegrams to the two of them, and there was a good chance that at least one of them was the man the vampire had spoken of. And then it had gone from miserably depressed to angry, defensive, and mute.

It had hissed, no longer speaking, glaring at the wall, clearly lost in angry and tumultous thoughts.

He'd felt cruel talking about such things, but after a full day with the beast and no one to claim it, he truly needed to know. He'd hoped it could simply follow its own scent back, but the vampire had been slightly scornful of this. Humans couldn't smell themselves, nor could dogs, nor vampires. How would one tell an old scent from the scent in one's nostrils that CAME from one's nostrils? Ridiculous! He'd smell absolutely nothing. Father Jacob had frowned at the slight arrogance the creature displayed...only to see the arrogance immediately vanish to be replaced by a cringing subservience.

And then it was frightened, angry, tense, nervous...and had taken yet more time to soothe and calm. He'd reassured it that he'd protect it, that he'd tell Abraham he'd removed the bracelets and not the vampire, that he'd keep it safe and hidden in the crypt, and it had relaxed to lie beside him once more.

x x x x x x

The blanket was soft, smelling comfortingly of the dirt of the crypt and the man beside him. The fire was almost uncomfortably warm, but also enjoyable, and he was nearly mesmerized watching the flames flicker through the grate of the stove. The pillow...such an odd sensation. Why had he never gotten himself a pillow? It was comfortable, thick, soft. The priest's heartbeat thundered a steady beat beside him, calming and peaceful, and the minutes drifted by. Still hungry, but nowhere near starving. The meal -freely given, hot, rich!- had provided him with quality, though lacking in quantity. So odd, that the priest would trust a vampire, would injure himself to feed a creature it should be killing.

Abraham, too. Abraham could have begun to study him, had made no secret of his initial plans. Instead...he'd taken the vampire outside. Made sure he had sufficient sleep. Kept him well-fed. Been patient, protective...even kind. He didn't deserve kindness, he knew what he was, he was evil. He had tormented so many people, simply for the joy of their pain. And yet...Abraham treated him gently. As Dracula, the vampire had had an active hand in Lucy's death, had attempted to control Mina, and his own people had killed Quincy as Dracula fled. Yet...Abraham didn't seem to hate him, treated him with an unexpected tolerance, gave him more than the barest necessities to exist.

And now, this man. He looked up at the priest, pondering. The man could have left him in the crypt, barricaded him in, and hadn't. And he certainly hadn't xpected to be fed, much less fed twice, and willingly. And here he was, in the priest's own home, soothed, fed, safe...even with a pillow and blanket, oddly human accoutrements but oddly pleasant.

He'd never met humans like this. Seward or Arthur, that kind he knew. They were intelligent enough to know what he was and could do, thus rightfully frightened of him, and they hated him, wished to kill him, to hurt him.

Abraham and the Priest...puzzling. Different. Intriguing.

He wondered if he'd still want their company once he'd recovered.

He rather suspected he would.

(wanted to continue this, but ran out of time. Sorry! Maybe tomorrow :) ) 


	26. Chapter 26

Church 10

John and Arthur rode quietly in the carriage. The driver was skillful and the road smooth and wide, but even so, Abraham's grey face and clear pain worried them. Even with the very fine set of horses, they'd be on the road for hours reaching the Priest that had reported Alucard's presence. And Abraham would be in pain every bouncing jarring foot of it.

"Abraham, it will be hours before we arrive." John's serious eyes bore into Abraham's pain- and drug-glazed ones. "If you take some ether now, you'll wake before we arrive. But you'll have a few hours of rest without pain." Abraham looked ready to argue, but a heavy jolt rocked through the carriage and instead he hissed and clenched the seat. "Look, I know you want to be awake and aware in case something happens. But right now, we're just traveling. There's nothing you can do and no need to put yourself through this."

Grumbling, Abraham acceded. He was truly miserable, sick and ill from both the morphine and the pain the morphine blunted, frantic with fear that Dracula had woken up and started his slaughter already. At best, he hoped the monster had taken its time murdering the priest, and had not yet moved on to the community about the church. At worst, he feared a mass of ghouls. The carriage was sturdy, meant to protect Lord Godalming against petty highwaymen, and it would slow an attack of ghouls at least temporarily. They were loaded down with silver weapons, too; pistols and rifles and shotguns, all with silver bullets, silver in the shot, or simply cartridges dipped in holy water. Silvered knifes, blades dipped in Holy Water, a supply of Host and garlic and stakes...they were surrounded by vampire-killing instruments.

He didn't think it would be enough, didn't want to be drowsy and give the vampire the slightest advantage. But John was right, for once. And so, he took the ether-soake cloth the doctor handed him, leaning back on his stack of pillows in the seat, and falling unconcious. Arthur gave him a sorrowful, deeply concerned look. Snagging a blanket from the stack, he tucked it about the man's shoulders, covering his extended leg, doing his best to keep his friend and mentor warm and comfortable.

And the carriage rolled down the highway.

x x x x x x x x

It rocked to a stop not far from a modest, well-kept home and small church. Abraham was awake now, but drowsy and nauseated from the drugs and pain. The three opened the window, looking carefully at the buildings. The church was dark, intact. They could not see the door clearly, but it appeared to be closed. The home, though, was lit, at least one room having a warm glow through the windows. The carriage downwind, a sniff confirmed that there was a fire burning, the faint and pleasant smell of a wood fire on the breeze. No blood, no slaughter, no doors hanging open.

Unfortunately, that most likely meant that Dracula was regaining his native cunning, laying a trap for them.

And Abraham had no ability at all to escape such a trap. The driver, no fighter himself, was brought into the carriage as well, hidden away in the back half of it, and John eased the horses closer to the home. A quick whispered debate had John and Arthur facing the beast, with the bedridden Abraham and a rifle backing them up. He was ill enough that he was just as likely to hit them as a vampire, but they'd long since realized that if he had to fire the gun after all, hitting them with a bullet was going to be the least of their worries.

Guns drawn, crucifixes about their necks, the two men made a cautious approach to the home. The priest had reported that the vampire was there...and so they didn't knock. Hearts in their throats, stiff with fear, they shoved the door open and raced through.

x x x x x x x

"Someone's there." The vampire's muffled voice spoke, and shortly afterwards the tousled head appeared from under the blanket, eyes watching the wall, clearly hearing something beyond it.

"What do you mean?" It was past midnight, if only just, far too late for visitors. Father Jacobs had a moment's thought of another tattered vampire joining them, but his own vampire quelled such notions quickly.

"A coach or carriage. I hear them, it's stopped outside." The head tilted. "It's coming this way." Nervous red eyes turned to the priest.

He smiled comfortingly at the vampire. "Maybe your Abraham has found you?" The vampire perked up at this, but tensed more and more as the seconds ticked by.

It hissed at the doorway. "Two people walking, not Master!" It moved into a crouch, rocking nervously, stepping to hide behind the priest, peering past at the doorway. Father Jacobs began to rise, preparing to answer the door...

And it was slammed open, two men rushing in. There was a confusing glimpse of guns, a great knife on a belt, and an angry shout as they saw the vampire crouched by the priest...and Alucard saw them.

Screaming in fury and threat, the sheer volume of its anger startled the men into pausing. And one raised a gun in his fear...and the vampire whirled away, leaping in one graceful move to crash through the window and flee.

Not yet out of his chair, shaking with surprise and adrenaline, suddenly fearful for his own life and that of the vampire, Father Jacobs froze, staring at the men...and then recognized them. And realized something equally important. One should respect a doctor and a lord, but they'd just lost every bit of respect he had for them.

Angry, contemptuous, he rose to his full height and glared at them. "Wasn't this how you lost him the FIRST time?" 


	27. Chapter 27

NO NO NO No! Guns, no, not again! The vampire cried aloud in fear, landing on the grass outside the house, darting towards the church, the crypt, safe dark welcoming.

And paused...Guns. The priest. They would kill him. No, not kill, he was human. A priest. He would be safe. Maybe? Halfway across the yard, the vampire paused, rocking in fear and indecision. Protect the priest? Why? He wanted to, wanted to go back, to defend the man. And he didn't know why, and this indecision and confusion combined with his fear and panic, hearing the priest shout at the men, would they kill him for this? Lock the priest in a coffin for not obeying? Run, or return? This indecision rampaged through the remains of his mind, culminating in a shriek from those twisted emotions.

He huddled in the open middle of the yard, arms wrapped tightly around legs, hearing the commotion inside as the men reacted to his shriek, the angry and unhurt voice of the priest dominant. The dark bulk of a man filled the doorway, hidden by the side of the house but the long shadow stretching out and visible. And the man stepped out, moving towards the vampire.

It was too much. The priest seemed safe. The vampire fled.

x x x x x x

The lantern caught the pale dash of flesh and clothing as the vampire darted over the low fence towards the church. It had waited in the yard, why, Father Jacobs had no idea. He'd expected it to be long gone after seeing the look on its face, the fear in its eyes as it sprang towards the window. But it was gone now, hopefully back into the church.

He returned to the house and the two rather abashed men. "You are a bloody great pair of fools, you realize that? Stay in this house. Do not leave it. You'd just shoot the vampire, again, and the good Lord only knows where he'd end up this time." Arthur made as though to protest and the priest cut him off. "I'll go soothe the vampire, calm him down. YOU keep yourselves out of his sight. Stay in here, stay away from the windows, and for the love of God, put those guns down." A glare at John. "If you hadn't shot him in the first place, he wouldn't have run. And if you both hadn't come barging in here and frightened him, he'd still be resting on the floor beside me." He fought down what he wanted to say to them. He was a priest. Priests did not use such language...appropriate as it might currently be.

"Just...stay here. Stay away from the windows. Drop the guns. If you scare him again, he'll probably end up in Scotland." And with that, he lit the lantern, ignoring the abashed men, and went to find his vampire.

x x x x x

The church doors hung ever-so-slightly askew, the hinges a bit warped from the power and speed of the vampire's passage. The crypt was closed tight, but the muffled boom as he'd hurried to the church and the dust floating about the dim church made it clear where the vampire was hiding.

"Alucard?" He crouched down, then sat by the trapdoor. "Vampire, I've made them stay in the house. They're idiots but I doubt either one is fool enough to anger me further." No sound. "It's safe, vampire. They're not here, but in the house, and I've told them to stay there." Time ticked past, and the muffled whine, almost entirely inaudible through the thick flooring, only audible due to the complete silence of the church, reached his ear. "Come on, now. Open the door. I need to check you. That was glass you went through, and I'm worried you hurt yourself."

Time passed, and eventually the vampire calmed enough to open the door, red eyes peering out cautiously, focusing on the priest then darting about the church. Reassured it was empty, the vampire crept out all the way, actually pressing himself up against the side of the priest. It was like being pressed against chilly marble, the creature was icy, hard, inhuman. And terribly, terribly frightened.

Patting it on the head exacerbated the issue, and finally the priest just sat quietly, letting the vampire relax from the support of his proximity. Remembering how it had hidden under the blanket, Father Jacobs twisted about, removing his robe, leaving only the thin shirt and pants under it. It was chilly, but he'd be fine. And the vampire needed it more than he did, finally slumping with a relaxed sigh when it was draped over him, hiding him from view.

"Are you better now?" A pause, then a nod. "I need to go talk to them now, find out where Abraham is. Can I leave you here?" A longer pause, a whine, then a nod. "Good. I'll be back as soon as I can." He rose stiffly to his feet, moving towards the door, unsurprised when the vampire followed behind him. It didn't pass through the door though, standing to the side of the doorway and peering out when the priest turned to look back at him. He smiled gently, reassuringly at the vampire. "Let me go talk to those buffoons, Alucard. I'll be back soon." The vampire pulled the priest's robe closer about his shoulders, nodding, serious and worried red eyes watching the priest as Father Jacobs turned to walk toward the house.

XXXX X X X X

Vampiric hearing was sharp, indeed, and he listened to the conversation between his priest and the two men. The conversation quickly gave him information he had not expected, but had longed for. And within a few seconds, he had left the safety of the church and was moving towards the carriage, rushing towards his Master.

x x x x x

Abraham wasn't certain what had happened. The coachman had asked him, frightened, what was going on, and Abraham had hushed him, sending him back to crouch and hide in the luggage area behind the seats. Out of sight, protected with a crucifix, he'd likely be missed by the vampire or avoided if noticed. But they'd both heard the shout, the incredible, animalistic snarl and the shattering sound of breaking glass.

Cursing his leg, Abraham had fought the urge to attempt to leave, to see what was happening, instead steadying the rifle on the house and hushing the coachman. He'd seen the pale shape in the yard, had considered firing on it, but had resisted the urge, unsure if it was truly the vampire in the dark. The angry voices of men had reached him, and he'd seen the large form of a strange man, the priest?, leave the house and move towards the church.

He wanted to call a warning, tell him that the vampire had gone that way, but prudence stopped him. He and his rifle were the ace in the hole, and if the vampire realized he was there, their sole advantage ended. The night crept by, Abraham finding himself tense and his heart racing despite the load of drugs in his system.

Behind him, he heard the faint creak and click of the carriage door opening, the slightest dip as a mass entered the vehicle. The vampire had crept up behind him! Awkward, frantic, he twisted away from the window, grabbing the rifle - oh, he should have had a small gun in this enclosed area! - and despairing at his imminent death...

Only to feel something ghosting underneath the blanket draped across his shattered leg. A shaky sigh reached his ears and a solid, cold weight came to rest against his undamaged limb. He sat in shocked silence for a moment, before venturing out a cautious, "Alucard?"

A cold hand wrapped about his ankle as a tired, content voice murmured back at him. "Master." 


	28. Chapter 28

Church 12

Abraham leaned back in the seat, eyes briefly closed. The bonds had held. Thank the Lord, the bracelets had been able to keep the vampire under control. He could take it home, put it back in the room, leave it there while he worked to get some other sort of portable control restored. The bracelets might be functioning now, but they were meant to be part of a set and that control might fade away. He'd have to find some other way to guarantee the monster's good behavior.

Reaching to the side, he flicked a match, quickly catching the small carriage oil lanterns alight. There were two within reach, enough to dimly illuminate the inside of the carriage and show him what was going on. What was going on...was a large lump concealed under the blanket, a slim foot the only visible sign that it was Alucard. That, and the hand on his ankle.

"Alucard?"

"Yes, Master?" Quiet, subdued, but still subservient...and Abraham felt a quiet surge of joy that all was not lost, not at all.

"Are you injured?" Reasonable to ask, as the beast had only a light meal the night before, had been at the least shot and with some undoubtable damage to his neck, then jumped through a window tonight... Abraham was more interested in making small talk with the vampire, testing its reactions. And the vampire surprised him, responding quickly and relatively coherently, with an answer that surprised him as much as the creature's mental health.

"No...healed."

"Healed?" He flicked the blanket aside slightly, expecting to see white hair...to see deep gray, nearly black.

Oh, dear Lord. Alucard had eaten someone. At his gasp, the red eyes peered up at him through the shaggy hair, wondering and curious and content, then becoming worried as time passed. It took a bit of effort, but Abraham forced it out.

"Who did you eat?" A head tilt, then the vampire shook it.

"Not eat." A pause. "Priest fed me." If his vampire had bitten the priest...the man could even now be changing into a ghoul! But before Abraham could process this thought entirely, the vampire butted his head against his leg, rolling his face down to press it in the crease where Abraham's thigh met the seat cushion. All that was visible was the ear as the vampire took in a deep whiff of air, likely taking in a concentrated dose of his scent, and continued. "Let me drink from cuts. Didn't bite." It sounded proud. "No biting."

The priest was a fool to have tempted the vampire like that...but the vampire hadn't bitten him? It was...bizarre. Entirely unexpected, that it would have simply fed from a cut. Leaning back, Abraham processed this information a bit. But the vampire, despite the dark hair, was thin, far too slender. And feeding him in front of the coachman would be a bit too malicious to the poor man.

"Sylvester? Go ahead and go into the house, let them know Alucard is with me and I'll be feeding him. Have them give me twenty minutes, then see if the Priest will come out here and join us." The man uncurled from behind the seats, looking warily at the vampire, who was now looking warily back.

"This is the beast you were hunting?" He'd heard only bits of the intial conversation among the passengers, and then been warned when they arrived here about the evil monster, to hide and keep himself safe...and now this person was curled up peaceably on the floor by Van Helsing, not posing a threat at all.

No wonder he was asking the question, thought Van Helsing wryly. "Yes, this is it, and as you can see, he's behaving himself. No need for you to stay out here, but do pass that message on to the others."

As soon as the coachman had stepped out, with one last, lingering and curious look at the vampire, Abraham reached down to the box on the floor. Inside it were a few half-melted pieces of ice, and a half-dozen bottles of blood.

"Here you are, Alucard. You should eat." A white hand darted out to take the bottle immediately, and the vampire was through one and starting on the other in seconds. Abraham watched, bemused, still slightly detached from the morphine, as the vampire fed. Alucard HAD been hungry, his hands and arms thickening slightly and his face looking fuller as the blood moved to restore him to normal. Four bottles had been consumed, the fifth one started, and the vampire was slowing down substantially, taking time to eat slowly and appreciatively. Eyes half-lidded, he remained on the floor, leaning against Abraham's good leg, much of his body still hidden by the blanket.

x x x x x x

It was then that Father Jacob rapped on the carriage door, causing Alucard to shift and suddenly sit upright, wide eyes on the door, then backing under Abraham's leg to place more of the man's body between him and the unknown threat, a shield. Abraham thought it rather amusing, except that Alucard bumped his injured leg in the process, and instead of a smile, he was hissing in pain.

"Abraham Van Helsing?" The deep, solid voice had to be the priest.

"Father Jacobs? Do come in." The vampire's eyes, wide with fear, relaxed as soon as he heard the voice and it watched complacently as the priest stepped up into the carriage, taking a seat across from the vampire. Having confirmed to himself that it was only the Priest, Alucard resumed his interrupted meal as the two men sized each other up.

"Father Jacobs, I cannot thank you enough for caring for Alucard." Abraham smiled down at his charge, then at the man across from him. "When I woke up and found he was missing, I feared the worst. Instead, I find him whole and safe and waiting for me. I have to hear this story...I would have expected him to be staked or chased away, not taken in, by a priest. Would you share the details with me?" A wry smile. "I'm afraid all I really know is what the telegram said...Alucard was waiting here for me. And he says you fed him?"

"Yes, but not out of bottles." The priest was watching askance as the vampire slowly finished the last of the fifth bottle, reaching over to place it in the box. Abraham noticed that he didn't reach for the remaining bottle...good. He'd have a bit to eat before dawn if needed. "I'd cut myself setting up a cot for him," A cot? Alucard had slept on a cot? "And he was drooling when he realized I was bleeding. It was a rather bad gash, I expected to need stitches. I told him no, and then he licked the cot, and then the filth on the floor. He was so hungry...and the blood would have simply gone to a bandage. We were alone in the crypt, I was bleeding, he wasn't attempting to attack me...and he needed the blood." A simple shrug. "So I let him have it. He licked the wound...and healed it." A hand extended to Abraham, and Father Jacobs indicated the injury...nothing but the palest of scars, barely visible in the dim lighting.

"This evening, I upset him, and he cried blood. Blood he couldn't afford to lose, I'm afraid. His hair went white, he was so thin, so hungry..." A bit embarrased, the priest continued, "I'm a priest, I'm supposed to care for the lost and needy. And so I cut my other hand, offered him the blood. He accepted it, didn't even attempt to bite, just swallowed some blood and licked that shut, too."

"Licked it shut...healed it? Can you explain this further?" Fascinating, he'd no idea...

"He said that vampires can heal, otherwise, no one would let them have a second meal." Both men glanced down at the vampire, now curled motionless by Abraham, utterly relaxed and, except for the very slight gleam of red behind the drooping eyelids, appearing asleep. "Afterwards, he got me water, said it would help. He was right; I felt fine, he hadn't taken much blood."

This...was a side of Alucard Abraham hadn't even expected. The bands had held, even though fresh blood was in front of him, and then he'd been able to heal an injury? Then worried for the priest's well-being? It went beyond the simple self-preservation and forced obedience the man expected, confusing him. Vampires shouldn't act that way.

"How...how did you find him?"

"He found me, woke me out of a sound sleep screaming outside the church a couple hours before dawn. He wouldn't come inside the house with me, but wanted in the church, wanted Sanctuary. I didn't realize he was a vampire, thought it was just a madman, maybe an albino, and let him in. I thought that once he was in the church, he'd calm down, and I could start taking care of him and find out where he was lost from or who'd abandoned him." The priest became more serious. "He fell down, later on he told me that he wasn't welcome in the church. I didn't realize until then that he wasn't human, but he was crying blood and the rosary burnt him. And he told me he was a vampire."

A sigh. "I considered killing him...but, Abraham, he was simply too pathetic. Scared nearly insensible, absolutely unaggressive, so desperately, desperately in need. Once I realized that he was lost, and he'd told me about you, I put him down in the crypt for the rest of the night. Abraham...a crypt? A coffin?"

Nodding, "Yes. I don't have a crypt for him, but I do have a deep underground room that he sleeps in. His coffin is kept there, although right now it's on top of the carriage." Alucard startled awake at this, head jerking up to focus on Abraham. "Yes, Alucard, it's right above us. You may go look, then come right back." The vampire flashed out of sight, and they could hear the scrabblings and sounds of him climbing to the roof, the rasp and thud of the lid being removed, then quiet sounds of joy. Abraham smiled at Father Jacobs. "As you can see, he's rather attached to it...vampires absolutely must have their coffins." The vampire slid down the side of the carriage, the sound clear to the two inhabitants, then slipped back in to curl up between them, a smug smile still on his face. "So he stayed in the crypt?"

"Yes, and then tonight I brought him out and inside with me." Here, the priest began to seem a bit embarrased. "I, well...Abraham, I...he was wearing bands, and I couldn't tell what they were. I thought them the work of the Devil, based on the odd writing and images on the outside. " A deep breath, and Abraham felt his blood begin to run cold. "Remember, when I said I upset him, and he was crying blood? I told him to give me his hands, planning to cut the bands off...he thought I was going to cut his fingers off and panicked. He ended up crying in the corner." A rush of relief, then...the bands were still on the vampire.

Of course they were still on the vampire, hidden under the tattered ends of the sleeves. After all, the vampire was obeying, hadn't bitten anyone. Abraham internally chastised himself for being a fool. Alucard was resting perfectly obediently and non-threateningly, he'd even buried his face against Abraham's knee once more.

"When I did remove the bands, I read the inside and realized that they were put there by a person, not the Devil." A sigh. "Alucard was very, very worried that you'd think he removed them himself, that you'd be angry at him. He's very focused on not making you angry." A pause, while the man waited for Abraham to explain this behavior...while Abraham sat in shocked and horrified silence, well aware of the uncontrolled, utterly bloodthirsty beast at his feet. Taking the silence as a cue to continue, the priest did. "He cried himself out, hair white, blood everywhere, after I made him let me take them off. And that's when I fed him. Afterwards, we were simply sitting quietly, I was reading and he was curled next to me, and those two," a slight pause, while Father Jacobs clearly chose a different word than he wanted to use, "men...came in." He paused again, glowering. "Alucard screamed at them and jumped out the window, the rest I think you saw. I went and got him out of the crypt by reassuring him that they would not be coming out of the house. When I left him, it looks like he found you."

The bands...gone. Abraham forced himself back to the present. "Yes, I saw him in the yard. He'd stopped there, but it was dark and I wasn't entirely certain it was him."

Father Jacobs directed his next question to the vampire, surprising Abraham with his blunt expectation that the creature would answer him. "Alucard, why WERE you waiting in the yard? I heard you scream in it."

Grumbling slightly at being disturbed, the vampire twisted its head to look at the priest. "Don't know. Worried they would hurt you. Don't know why I stopped." It seemed annoyed at the thought, then shrugged, turning to burrow his face back into Van Helsing's knee.

Abraham just sat, dumbfounded. The vampire had been worried about the priest? Protective, even?

And why were the five of them even alive? Lord knew after what he'd done to it, what Seward and Godalming had done, it should want them dead. The priest...vampires were unholy, evil. Killing the priest would have been very typical behavior. Sylvester wouldn't have stood a chance. They should all be shredded or shambling ghouls.

Lost in thought, he stared down at his vampire. It was radiating contentment, and his own drug-addled brain fought to make sense of all that he'd learned about it in the last few minutes. And he stared most intensely at the slim wrist he could now see, devoid of the thin shackle he'd put on it in Romania so many weeks ago. 


	29. Chapter 29

Church 13

Alucard listened vaguely as the two men talked. Hearing how John had shot him made him stir uncomfortably, but the explanation for his Master's fall was good to know. He felt there should be something else there concerning him, but he couldn't force his mind to bring the concept to where he could analyze it. He was simply content.

He'd had rich, hot red blood, then as much of the cold blood as he wanted. Master was there, back, and not angry with him, not angry at all. The Priest was with Master, both of them producing an incredible sense of safety in the vampire. He was enclosed in the carriage with them, protected within its walls, his own coffin nearby. John and Arthur, dangerous, were far away in the house, unable to reach him. The scent of Abraham had filled the carriage from his prolonged time in it, adding to the lulling comfort with each unnecessary breath Alucard took.

He became aware that Abraham was calling him gently, and forced his eyes open. Asleep, no, he wasn't asleep...but so very close to it. Tired, from nightmares, from the fright earlier, from the full belly.

x x x x x x

The red eyes pried themselves open, the vampire blinking up at Abraham, utterly and thoroughly relaxed and nearly asleep. "Alucard...we need to sleep. Father Jacobs will go with you to put your coffin down in the crypt, and he'll place you in the coffin after dawn." A puzzled frown showed on Father Jacobs' face, but Abraham would explain that to him later. For now, a gentle smile at the beast, though unease still crawled under his skin at the realization that the vampire was entirely free. "We'll go home during the day, and you'll wake safe inside your own room again."

A gentle nudge with his knee. "Go, now. Take your coffin and place it in the crypt. He'll go with you," a short nod at the priest, "and then we'll all be in the house."

"Abraham, there simply aren't enough beds in the house." Father Jacob looked a little embarrassed at this. "I feel like a terrible host, but I have only the single spare bed, and my own small one. With your leg, you certainly can't share a bed with anyone, even if it were large enough. Taking the cot from the crypt will help, but we'll still be short two beds."

Abraham had to snort, as the vampire blinked itself awake, red eyes moving vaguely from one face to the other and back. "I'd planned to have John and Abraham sleep here in the carriage. The seats would certainly be more comfortable than the floor of your home, and I'd rather not bar Alucard from your house." Actually, he'd very much like to bar the vampire away, but didn't want to strain the trust and dependency the vampire apparently had for him. "They'll be happier sleeping in the carriage, decked out with silver and garlic, and I suspect Alucard will be happier having them far away from us." A slight frown. "There ought to be room here between the seats for the cot, and I'd like to put the coachman out here as well."

It didn't take long for the priest to take Alucard back into the church. The revitalized vampire handled the coffin as though it was a twig, pulling up the massive trap door with a single arm and apparent ease, impressive the priest with its abilities. It would be terrifying...if it wasn't so meek. The coffin was settled down, the cot carefully folded, and to the priest's surprise, the vampire didn't sleep in the coffin. Instead, it placed the lid beside the coffin, curling up on it instead.

"Alucard, aren't you going to sleep in your coffin?" Eyes sprang open, a worried whine, and the vampire rolled to crouch on the lid, head shaking rapidly in negation. He was clearly escalating into yet another panic attack, and Father Jacobs moved quickly to soothe him and distract him. "Alright, if you're more comfortable outside of it." A brief ponder, as the vampire relaxed slightly. "Is there anything you need or want before I leave?"

Distracted, the vampire forgot his fear, thinking a moment, then hopeful red eyes moved to the priest. "The pillow?"

x x x x x x x

Entering the house to fetch the requested pillow, the priest was unsurprised to see a rather abashed pair of men and the coachman talking to them. He waved briefly at the priest, explaining, "I was telling them about the vampire creeping into the coach," and Father Jacobs fought a smile off his face. The coachman was apparently entirely unthreatened by what he'd heard and seen as a timid, subservient, nonviolent man, hiding under Abraham's blanket. And the other two were realizing just how badly they'd overreacted.

He was a priest, he shouldn't be doing this, but he kept that smile hidden while he leaned to get the pillow from the floor, then headed back to the door. Sure enough, one of them asked.

"What does Abraham need a pillow for?" A grin at the door, unseen by them, as the priest calmly said, "Alucard asked for his pillow to sleep with."

There was absolute and shocked silence behind him as he left to return to the church.

x x x x x x

A moment's thought as he crossed the church floor, and he bent to pick up his discarded robe. The vampire had dropped it at the door before going to Abraham, and it would make a suitable blanket for the night. The vampire might be taller than he was, but it was so slight and curled up it would easily fit under the robe. The blanket could then be used by another guest. Abraham had several pillows in that carriage, but there appeared to be only a few blankets.

Alucard was in the dark, already curled up on the lid, clearly ready to sleep though it would be some time yet until dawn. He took the pillow appreciatively, pressing his face into it, a look of bliss on his features.

"You seem rather happy, vampire." Red eyes turned to look at him, a half-smile on the creature's face.

"Master is here, you are here. Sleeping in crypt, with my coffin. Even a bag of home soil in it. John and Arthur away, plenty to eat." A massive yawn, showing each and every sharp and shiny point in his mouth, then, before the priest could be intimidated by it, a clumsy white hand knuckling at the sleepy eyes. "Want to sleep, now. Full, safe, tired, dark." The eyes closed, and the face turned to burrow into the pillow. An eye cracked open, the face turning to watch cautiously as the priest took another step towards the vampire, not up the stairs.

And then Father Jacob tossed the robe over the vampire, careful to cover its face as well. It froze, then the shape underneath squirmed a bit.

He DID hear it purr as he went up the stairs, the faint happy sound only stopping when the closed trap door blocked it from him.

x x x x x x x

Abraham's progress from the carriage to his bed was slow and painful, but he was finally settled, another dose of morphine working through his bloodstream. John had checked the injury, with a serious look on his face, but had forebore to say anything. The glimpse Father Jacobs had showed him an ugly and swollen leg, bruises ranging from the ankle to the knee. Two long cuts, closed with black thread, showed the surgery, but the knots were strained, weeping fluid. He shuddered and pulled away.

He was no doctor, but he didn't think the man would be keeping that leg past the knee.

Once he'd settled Abraham, John gathered the other two and they went off to the carriage. Abraham had carefully explained that they were not to upset the vampire, at all. It was completely uncontrolled, and they absolutely had to keep it obedient and quiet until it could be locked away safely in its room. The remains of the bracelets had joined the twisted and broken collar in its bag with due solemnity, and they had left to prepare the carriage as they could. While Abraham and Father Jacobs would be in the house, relatively unprotected, at least the other three could fortify the small area of the carriage.

Everyone had a blanket and a pillow, though the coachman was left with the tattered and dusty blanket Alucard had been using.

Abraham found himself drowsing off quickly, the medicine working to pull him into slumber despite his fears and worries. Father Jacobs, though tired, was far too anxious to sleep. Vampire gone and in the crypt, the others had given him a brief description of its past behavior, and while the behavior was an incredible contrast with how the vampire had acted around him, he had no cause to doubt the truthfulness of the other men. It was a dangerous beast, and he rather wanted to barricade the house from it.

But he had responsibilities of his own. And if he barricaded the house from the vampire, and it awoke, frightened, and tried to reach them...it might flee. And kill, again.

Better him as bait than the innocent families scattered through the country about him.

Reassuring himself with the mental image of the peaceful vampire he'd left to sleep help. But the vampire was utterly mad, he knew that too. And it had killed before, driven people mad, tortured...

Sleep came with difficulty, though Abraham snored gently in the next room. 


	30. Chapter 30

Church 14

Alucard spasmed awake, eyes, wide, scream caught in his throat. The dream had been very vivid; Abraham was dead before him, throat ripped out. Alucard hadn't done it, was in fact starving, but covered in blood. And Arthur, Seward...and his priest...were there, preparing to kill him. It wasn't so much the horror of knowing that they were planning to take their time about it, torturing him until he died...it was that Abraham was DEAD. And the priest had turned on him, and he was alone...no one to protect him, no one to stop them. Shaking, he curled tighter under the robe, insisting to himself that it was a dream, only a dream, a dream.

A dream that had its claws thoroughly in his mind and refused to be shaken off.

He needed Abraham. Would Master be angry if he left the crypt? No one had told him he must stay there...not exactly. He could leave...was Master still here? Shuddering, he moved to the stairs, fear-fogged brain slowly turning.

It was night, dawn...yes...an hour away. At least. Maybe more. They were men, men would be asleep. Not vampires. Men. If he didn't wake Abraham...he could sit by Abraham, listen to the heartbeat, smell him, see he was alive. Alive, not dead, not dead! Master would be asleep, Master would not be angry. Priest would be there too. Priest was not angry, safe. Yes.

The vampire crept quietly up the stairs and off to his Master.

x x x x

Silver! Garlic! The carriage reeked and the vampire drew back in disgust and confusion. Why had Master? Wait. No. Master not in carriage. John and Arthur and Stranger in carriage. The vampire drew back, fangs bare, backing cautiously away. No, no, no! Away...dangerous! This additional stress added on to the fear remaining from his nightmare, and the vampire rocked briefly, shaking, before recovering himself.

Master was in the house. A quick scamper to the house, and a cautious sniff...no garlic. He could enter. The door was eased open and clicked shut, and within moments the vampire was crouched at the foot of Abraham's bed, tension easing out of him, listening to the steady thump of the heart.

Not-so-steady. It raced, struggled, and with the quietest of worried whines, Alucard lifted his head, peering over the bed at Abraham. His face...sweaty. Flushed.

Something wrong. Something very wrong.

The vampire rose, nostrils working busily...Sick. Very sick. Something...bad. Blood, injury, yes...where? How had he missed this earlier?

THIS was what he was trying to realize in the carriage. Master's fall...master had been HURT. Sick. Cut on head, yes... A quick sniff showed the scent of dried blood, and a small shaved portion revealed stitches. Worried, whining softly, the vampire licked at the wound.

No, not just lick. Inside, inside also hurt. Sharp teeth snicked briefly, again, and again, and clever white fingers pulled the stitches out. Morphine holding him unconcious, Abraham didn't even twitch. Clean, clean it. Deep inside. Skull hurt? Yes...swollen, crack... The pale pink tongue, pressed to the bottom of the cut, felt the faint ridge of the cracked skull.. Whining, the vampire worked to cover it with saliva, feeling the drop in temperature as the heat left the healing injury. Pulling his tongue away briefly, he pondered, seeing the inside of the gash heal. A few more moist swipes, and the skin, too was bonded together.

No heat now, no. Bones...bones took longer than skin. But it would heal now. Inside skull...couldn't help that, not at all, but Master wouldn't hurt now.

Pleased with himself, the vampire hugged his shoulders, rocking and humming a bit, then crouching by his Master. With Abraham mending and the horrors of the dream fading rapidly from his mind, his mental abilities were returning...and he realized that it wasn't the simple head wound that he was smelling, that there was far, far more wrong with Abraham.

The leg. Master had broken it... And Alucard remembered how it had been lifted, braced on pillows, in the carriage. At the time, he hadn't realized that was anything unusual. But now, fed, no longer frightened, with the taste of Abraham's blood on his tongue, he knew...something was much more wrong than a bumped skull. The blood itself was laced with the faintest and bitterest of poisons from a sick body, the dull and deadening flavor of morphine and other unknown drugs adding a sickly aftertaste.

Abraham might be angry with him, but Alucard accepted that as the price he'd have to pay to heal his Master. Angry Abraham was far better than Dead Abraham, and the taste of blood on his tongue told him that Dead Abraham was far too likely. The blanket was lifted away from the leg, and Alucard stared at it for a few moments, pondering what to do.

First...remove the splint? No. That would let the leg shift, and those bones...too dangerous. First, the stitches. There were two long cuts, he'd do them one at a time. His jaw worked busily, slender and sharp teeth working better than fine scissors to remove the threads. The saliva could deaden the pain somewhat, making a vampire bite painless...but not the level of pain Abraham would be in. This was far more than a few small holes. Still, the morphine would help.

Quick, intense red eyes analyzed the damage. The skin was no problem, but the injuries under the skin... At least the surgeons had cut large and deep slits, and the tongue was soon probing about in the first one. There...the broken bone. But...no splinters? That must be...yes. The surgeons had removed them. The large bone first, slowly, carefully, ease the ends close, seal then with saliva, more, more...slow healing, slow...yes. Knitting, now, the bone tender and so delicate under his tongue, but the ends now together, connecting. The muscles, now, nerves...delicate veins torn, some with knots to stop the bleeding. The tongue teased the knots loose, sharp teeth delicately snipped away the charred ends of cauterized vessels, then the clever tongue teased them back together, licking them gently as they found each other and began to mend. Blood flowed, and the vampire swallowed a bit, reveling in the flavor, finally, of Abraham's blood, more than the trace from the head.

Oh, strong, strong blood, the man's personality was reflected in the humour that flowed in his veins! It was almost addictive, unlike any other blood the vampire had ever experienced. Odd, somehow...but oh, so good! He fought briefly against the urge to take one more sip, but Abraham needed all the blood he had, and the vampire withdrew with the faintest of whines. The tongue probed the wound, finding the bone still together, muscles knitting as well, arteries and veins nearly whole again, and withdrew. A few more minutes on the subcutaneous tissues...and a final swipe across the skin.

Tired, he was tired. So hard to heal so much... Vampire saliva was draining to produce, and he'd filled the wound with it. And there was another one on the other side of the leg, waiting. But he ought to eat something first...there was a bottle left, somewhere. Where?

A cursory inspection of the house showed him that it was nowhere inside...it must be in the carriage. With a tired whine, the vampire returned to Abraham's side. He'd rested enough, and there was more damage to heal. Abraham already smelled better, but the wound was only half finished, and still deadly.

The second set of threads vanished with a few snicks, and the second long cut lay open before him. This cut...the bones had come out, here, when Master was hurt. The skin was torn, the stitches messy along one section of it. The tongue dipped in, feeling the two ends of the smaller bone of the leg...and a splinter. They'd missed one. Two. And another? Yes, another. Any more? No. Three small splinters, but enough to kill. The tongue pressed them in against the injury, encouraging the body to incorporate them back into the leg bones, then the ends of the bones were aligned. Time, time, it took time, time and so much saliva, so much healing, but they fused, too. Not completely, no, but they'd hold the leg straight.

Both bones were now intact. Weakened, but intact. The splinters were gone...and Alucard was drooping with fatigue. Still, he pressed on, easing the ripped and gouged muscle, the saliva reducing swelling, cooling the overheated flesh. It was becoming a struggle to produce the saliva, but he was determined to heal Abraham. Tired, tired, but STAY FOCUSED! Don't forget details. Veins, arteries, the tiny sip of blood as they healed helping him, but not enough, not enough, so tired.

Done? A tentative probe of the healing wound...Done. Intact. Cooling. Clean, the poisons in the wound destroyed by saliva, some removed on his tongue. Horrible, foul, but necessary. The skin now...the tongue no longer so graceful, but numb with fatigue. Still, it swept over the rough and torn edges, the small and jagged holes from the threads...and...done.

The vampire curled beside the bed, exhausted. He ought to remove the splint the rest of the way, but he simply couldn't. The hair in his eyes was white, and his body too thin, boney. He'd used up so many resources producing the healing components for Master, but so worth it. Already, he could hear the heart calming, the face losing its hectic coloration for the normal pale of an invalid, the sweat easing.

Master would recover.

And the sun was rising...he was too tired, too tired to ignore it. Today, it would burn him.

His tired, fogged mind told him that the crypt was safe, and he forced himself to crawl towards it. The door handle...clumsy hands batted at it, trying to turn the knob, but his body was exhausted, no longer obeying him. With a groan of exhaustion and frustration, he sank to the floor by the door. So tired...the sun...he needed a dark place to sleep.

The vampire drug himself to the corner, curling as much of himself as he could under the countertop, and slept. 


	31. Chapter 31

Church 15

(yes, short chapter. Sorry, but that was all that "gelled" tonight.)

It was the noise that woke the priest. Knowing what, exactly, was sleeping in the crypt had made his sleep light and restless. His dreams featured snarling dogs but the sound wasn't right, he wondered if it was a new breed of dog, and then found himself watching the wall by his bed. The dream was gone, but the sound remained.

The morning air was chill, though the sun was shining brightly through the window, making a square of gold on the smooth plaster. Was Van Helsing having a nightmare? Remembering the injury his guest had sustained and how ill the man seemed, Father Jacobs wrapped his blanket about himself and rose to check on Abraham. Still slightly sleep-fogged, he looked at the man, frowning. How was Abraham making that sound with his mouth closed?

It wasn't Abraham. The vampire? Fear gripped his chest and he spun, looking for the beast, following the sound out and back into the kitchen.

And there the vampire was, curled under the countertop, having pushed the rubbish bin out of the way and the bag of potatoes too. Why wasn't it in the crypt? Awake now, it was only a matter of moments before the priest realized that the vampire's hair was white again, and that it was twisting clumsily and slowly in pain. It was day, it should be asleep, what was wrong? Why was it crying, those drawn-out moaning sounds that had woken him up.

"Alucard? Alucard! What is wrong?" A small gasp of pain or startlement, and the head twisted, one eye looking blearily towards him from the corner, white hair obscuring most of its view. The head still hung, as though the vampire was too weak to move it, though the beast still tried to push against the wall behind it, force itself farther into the corner with weak, short scrabbles and twists. No answer, though the cries of pain had stopped, and the vampire's eye dropped closed again.

"Alucard! What is wrong? Tell me!" Commanding, loud, it forced a response from the vampire.

"Day, sun...burns. Not dark. Not dark!" With the end of that statement, the head fell forward again, no longer looking at him, collapsed with weakness. One of the legs made yet another abortive attempt to push the creature backwards, the foot sliding uselessly a few inches on the floor before being pulled back into the dubious shelter of the countertop.

Vampires were affected by sunlight? This certainly explained the crypt, as it was one of the darkest places the priest could imagine. Why was it out of the crypt? Had it come into the kitchen to nap, then overslept and been caught by the sun? At least the main kitchen window faced south, not east, or the creature would be in far more pain. The room was well-lit and golden from the bright sunlight, but none fell directly on the vampire.

Assuming it was the sun that had damaged the vampire so badly, the priest moved quickly, wrapping the blanket from his bed about it. Casting about for more blankets, bags, anything, he spotted the curtains. A green checkered pattern, not anywhere near as useful as the blankets, but they were still another layer. The vampire was pulled out further, the blanket wrapped tightly around him, the kitchen curtains layered on top. It still keened, whined, and the priest was vaguely sickened by the slick, pink, burned areas of its skin that he had seen before covering them.

Grabbing his unwieldy bundle, he rushed to the broom closet. His coat went around the vampire too, and the broom, dustpan, mop, buckets, rags, and more landed on the kitchen floor. The vampire was crammed into the tiny space, the door closed...and the priest took a moment to sigh with relief. That space wasn't lightproof by any means, but it was fairly dark and the beast was well-wrapped.

It needed to be in the crypt, in its coffin. The priest turned to trot out the door, taking a quick glance in the church to see that the crypt door was left open. Good, he could put the monster down there himself without having to wake any of the other men. But the lawn was too well-lit, he needed another blanket to shield the creature for the dash across it. He'd have to borrow Abraham's and make his excuses later.

The blanket was already half-off the sleeping Abraham, his legs bare. The injured leg looked so much better that the priest paused in surprise, but there was no time for a closer inspection. The room's window faced north between a pair of spruce shrubs, and the light was dim enough he could be mistaken. But Abraham had taken a heavy dose of morphine before sleeping, and would be difficult if not impossible to wake. So the priest merely purloined the blanket, then returned to cocoon the vampire in it.

Away from the sunlight, the vampire had been silent, motionless. Even with the coat, blankets, and curtains turning him into a misshapen mummy, the poor beast began to wail as soon as he was outside and in the sun. He squirmed, too; undoubtedly, had he any strength, he'd be thrashing. But his weakness and the blankets kept the movement to mere twitches and twists, and it was easy enough to run across the well-lit lawn with his light weight in the priest's arms.

Within moments, the priest was feeling his was down the crypt steps. Still sun-dazzled from the brilliant morning outside, the deep dark inside the crypt was almost impenetrable.

Sitting on the last step, he cradled the vampire in his lap, waiting for his eyes to adjust. It began to cry weakly in fear, the head lifting slightly, turning about. At the high, quavering, "Maaaster!" the priest realized something important.

The vampire had no idea what was going on. And that, as much as its injuries, had upset it!

"Shhh...It's me. You were burning in the kitchen, so I've brought you down to the crypt. It's too dark for me to see, I'm waiting on my eyes to adjust." A few more movements from the vampire, then it quieted down, clearly thinking things through.

"Priest?" Tentative, soft, frightened.

"Yes, the priest. You'll be safe down here in your coffin until Abraham wakes up." And the man would know what to do with the sick vampire. Remembering how grey and ill he'd looked the night before, Father Jacobs had to consider that he might end up turning to the other men for assistance in helping the vampire. All he knew was to give it blood and put it in the crypt, and he wasn't going to feed it a third time in only two days.

A sigh, and it became a motionless lump in his arms. The vague shapes in the crypt were coming into view for him, at least the parts nearest the crypt door, and he was able to see the outline of the coffin. Unwinding the many layers from the vampire showed him a face utterly relaxed in sleep, though thin and burnt. The hair was white, wispy, and the body too thin, but inspection showed that Alucard was intact. None of the burns were more than skin deep; he looked much like a man with a bad sunburn a few days old. And so he gently lowered the sleeping vampire into the coffin. Not entirely asleep after all, for as soon as Alucard's back touched the bottom of the coffin, he let out a quiet, relieved sigh.

He left the crypt, shutting the door behind him. The solid "thud" of its landing inspired a twinge of guilt. Weak as the vampire had been, unable even to lift its head, it was quite thoroughly trapped for the day. He hoped it would simply sleep, despite the burns, and not wake in a panic at being unable to escape.

For now, time to wake the others. They'd all be short on sleep, but the vampire was injured, and needed care. The priest didn't know what to do once it was out of the light and in its coffin, but the others would. 


	32. Chapter 32

church 16

(I know, it's not a good chapter, but it does transition between the priest's home and Abraham's home, which is what it needed to do!)

Arthur and John woke first, joining the priest as Father Jacobs woke Abraham. Sylvester, they left to sleep; the vampire wasn't his concern, merely the care of the horses and handling of the coach. The three of them gathered around the bed, staring at Abraham's leg.

The wrappings had been removed, the splint partially taken away, and the remaining leg looked healthy. Some discoloration remained, but that of fading bruises, not fresh ones, due to old damage not new swelling. The stitches were gone, the little black knots scattered about the bed, the cuts themselves reduced to angry red scars. Tender fingers felt the bones, delicately, and with a puzzled look John regarded the other two.

"He's healed. The break itself is still rough, with a thin area in the middle, and I wouldn't be walking on it any time soon if I were him...but I thought we'd be taking his leg off today." A bemused look at the man before him. "Instead, I'll have to tell him he can't walk about on it, not yet. Odd, this. Normally, the bone at the site of a break forms a great callous. These didn't; there's a slight gap in some areas where they join, at least on the shin bone. The smaller bone, I can't feel to tell."

"Vampires can apparently heal more than minor injuries." Father Jacobs voice was serious yet respectful of this new facet of vampires. "Alucard was absolutely exhausted, drained to quivering weakness when I found him. He was burning in the light in the kitchen; had he made it into the yard I think it might have destroyed him. John, can we wake Abraham and ask about caring for Alucard? Or do we need to let him sleep."

Standing again to look at the sleeping man, John shrugged. "It's not a matter of if we need to let him sleep, but an inability to wake him. The morphine dose he took, along with a sedative...they were measured out for a man in severe pain. The pain would have burned through them. For a man in good health, he might be unconcious for hours more." A thoughtful hum. "We'll try to wake him, but I don't know as it would do any good."

And, indeed, the best they could get was an irritated grumble from the man. Father Jacobs insisted that Alucard be fed, and went down into the crypt with the remaining bottle.

He returned, looking grim and solemn. "Alucard's skin has healed but he hasn't regained any color, and didn't heal until he ate. He's not concious."

"That's normal for the day. He should wake up tonight. By then, he'll be back in his room, and Abraham will be able to determine what should be done." Arthur's explanation was duly accepted, and the priest stopped being concerned for the vampire when Arthur continued, "He won't be aware of anything while he's asleep. And with soil in his coffin and the trip being during the day, he won't know if he's hungry, injured, or anything. He'll simply wake up back in his room."

It didn't take long to wake the coachman, retrieve the horses from the stable, and then haul the coffin to the carriage. It was heavy, but with three men, moving it was doable. They'd considered taking the vampire out to move it more easily, but as soon as he was placed on the floor of the crypt he'd whimpered, though the eyes were still shut. Father Jacobs was also worried about taking him out into the sunlight, wrapped or not.

"Alucard knew when he was out in the sun this morning, and it's only gotten brighter out. I'd rather have him wrapped AND in the coffin. What if we drop it and it opens?" He was insistent, overriding the other men's preference for just hauling the vampire up the stairs and into the coach, and not worrying if it got a little more burned along the way. He also insisted that it be placed in the carriage itself and not on the roof. As it was simply too heavy for the other two men to lift that high, even with the assistance of the coachman, he got his way in this, too.

And so Alucard's coffin was tucked in between the seats, Abraham resting on one of them, and the two men sitting rather uncomfortably at the end of the other seat. Foot space was limited, for roomy or not, the carriage floorspace was nearly filled by the coffin! With a soft curse, Arthur gave up and moved to sit by the coachman outside the carriage, and John joined Abraham in napping on the seats.

It was just past noon when they reached the Van Helsing home. Abraham was awake and hungry though not entirely coherent and repeating to everyone to be careful of his leg. The drugs' effect on him was fading but his lucidity was still severely impaired. Alucard was quickly tucked away in the basement and a careful inspection given to the room wards, now the only thing preventing it from causing bloody mayhem.

"Abraham will have to look these over again when he's recovered a bit." John gestured to the wards, which appeared solid to the two of them.

"I just hope he's back to himself before Alucard wakes," was Arthur's solemn reply, and the two men left the dark coffin with its silent inhabitant to check on their friend.

Once he'd eaten and felt more himself 


	33. Chapter 33

Church 17

(yes, it's short...but it's late and I wanted to get at least a little up before going to sleep)

Once he'd eaten and felt more himself, Abraham was appraised of the condition of his leg. He confirmed there was full flexibility in it but was entirely flabberghasted that the vampire would do such a thing. It could have done it simply due to random madness, or confusion...or possibly trying to do a "favor" so that a later sin would be overlooked. If that were the case, its current miserable condition might be an additional attempt to curry sympathy or support.

It was very difficult to take anything that creature did at face value. And while John insisted that he not walk on the leg and keep the splint on, just in case...there was no arguing that his leg was whole, intact, and mending. Or that the vampire had been responsible for this recovery, and drained itself of vitality to do so.

The real question was, "Why?" And while Abraham intended to ask the monster this, he wasn't sure he'd believe any answer that it gave.

x x x x x x x x

Alucard woke slowly, tired, and realized that he was surrounded by his soil again. Home, he was home. Safe. Coffin, soil, his own room, Master...home again. Red eyes sagged open as he watched the ceiling idly. It took time for it to penetrate to him that he was in his coffin again, but he was too exhausted to be able to be frightened. The lid was off, and he could leave...if he only had the energy.

Healed, yes. No pain. The burns were gone, so Master had fed him. But so hungry! As sleep faded, the pangs of hunger made themselves plain. He had not been so hungry since he had woken in Abraham's care, so thoroughly drained and exhausted. He hoped Master would be there soon to feed him.

Master...should not be walking! The red eyes opened a bit further. It was odd that he was not out of his coffin already, it was well past sundown. The leg was healed but the bones were not done knitting yet. Vampiric saliva could hasten healing dramatically, but bones took longer than muscle and vessels to fully mend. That leg would be weak and unsteady, and with a flare of guilt, he realized that he hadn't warned Master to stay off the leg a few more days.

Had he walked on the leg and reinjured himself?

Near-panic at the thought of Abraham injured and bedridden again pulled the vampire wide-awake, but he found himself simply too tired to move, to do more than twitch. He had no reserves left, none at all. He'd used up his energy, first by fleeing for so very far, then in healing the bullet wound. The priest's blood had helped, and the heavy meal from Master too...but he'd still been recuperating himself when he'd discovered how badly Master was hurt.

And so he laid there, motionless, mind awhirl with anxiety as the minutes crept by. 


	34. Chapter 34

Possess Ch 34

(yes, the Church chapters are over, as he's back at the estate!)

He could have wept with relief when he heard the basement door open, heard the halting and limping steps and the steady tapping of crutches, had he the blood or the energy. Instead, all he could do was lie silent, part of him rejoicing that Master was alright, part of him ravenous and anxious for blood, cold and clotted and old as it might be. The tapping approached, and then the light of a candle or dim lantern illuminated his room...but the door did not open?

"Alucard, show yourself." That was Master, but he could not obey. Frustrated by his immobile state, he was simply incapable of movement. The light flickered about, and he realized that Master must be looking in the other windows. Well and good, but he didn't need Master outside in the hallway, he needed Abraham IN the room, preferably with a half-dozen or more bottles of blood! "Vampire, show yourself!" He would if he could, and he wanted to whine with his frustration...but he was simply incapable of any sort of sound or movement, trapped in his body.

Trapped. Unable to move. In his coffin. Demons of vicious memory clawed at his mind, but he forced them down, watching the candlelight dance on the ceiling. He was not alone, Master was there, speaking to him. He was not trapped in the coffin, but able to see, to watch, to hear. This was not the same. NOT THE SAME. Still, the fear pushed on his chest, smothering him...and all he could do was lie still, listening to Abraham becoming angrier and angrier at his apparent disobedience.

Master was now calling on him to answer.

If only he could.

x x x x x x

The vampire was hiding, most likely tucked up against the door, or just out of site against the wall. It refused to show itself, refused to respond to his demands. It had already started, the rebellion he had feared. At least it was locked safely away in the cell.

It would be staying there, too, for a very long time to come. A new set of fetters had to be fashioned, perhaps a different set of controls entirely, before it could be allowed out again. He'd wanted to thank it for healing him, but the vampire had nixed that with its intransigence. The guilt he'd felt at leaving the vampire locked in the room was evaporating rapidly.

Scowling, he placed the small bottle of blood in the window. He'd planned to feed it more than just the one, but if the vampire felt well enough to ignore him, it would only be getting the one bottle. It WOULD learn to obey, WOULD recognize its dependency on him, fetters or not.

"Here is your dinner. I will be back tomorrow."

What he wouldn't be doing was entering that room. Arthur and John had returned to their respective homes and jobs, and until they returned, he would not be placing himself at risk. He'd found the vampire lying awake and waiting for him once already, though the sun was high in the sky...no, he'd not be going in there, not without the other men beside him and armed.

Grumbling at the vampire's bad behavior, he maneuvered his awkward way back up the stairs on the crutches.

x x x x x x x

Tomorrow. Could he make it that long?

He'd heard the clink of a bottle...and it might as well be waiting for him in Romania. There was no chance of him reaching it. Frustration and starvation roiled in the vampire, and he tried to ignore them, ignore the slow creep of unchanging time.

An enterprising rat found the bottle, smelled the blood on the cork, and worked at the bottle's end with busy rodent jaws. Its efforts rocked the bottle, sliding it slightly...and with a dull crack it landed on the floor inside the cell.

A feast for the rat, and it sated itself while the starved vampire listened helplessly from his coffin. It wandered off after eating, leaving the broken glass and red puddle on the floor, and a little trail of footprints and a dragging tail extending from the spill for a few inches.

It vanished down the drain in the floor, unbothered by the silver or the wards, and left the vampire alone in the black, tormented by the thick smell of blood and the fear of Abraham's apparent anger. 


	35. Chapter 35

Possess Ch 35

(I had four reviews wanting another chapter...I ought to be getting other stuff done but that gave me an excuse to procrastinate and get another chapter up!)

Sun well up in the sky, Abraham went down again to look in on the vampire. There was a chance it would be awake and more cooperative, and if not, he might be able to see it sleeping by the coffin. Alucard had taken the bottle at some point during the night, alleviating the niggling concern Abraham had been experiencing, and the small meal should be both a bribe and a threat. Abraham didn't need to keep him well-fed and functional, after all. Just intact.

Tomorrow, the Harkers were planning a visit and he was hoping that Seward would be able to stop by as well. With them as support, he'd see about opening the room.

It had been given a bottle after it healed him, and a bottle last night, but Dracula had to be very hungry. Perhaps that hunger could force obedience out of it? With his command to "Show yourself" he hoped the vampire had mad an effort to be visible today, but he had no such luck; it had chosen to sleep behind the coffin and out-of-sight.

Frowning, eyes blazing with irritation, he placed the bottle on the ledge where the first had been. He'd have to retrieve the bottles once the Harkers and Seward were here; as it was, they'd be far too handy for the vampire to throw at them. He wouldn't rip his coffin apart for weapons, but the chamber needed to be bare of anything else. Just because Dracula couldn't reach out of the room didn't mean he wouldn't still be looking for ways to hurt or kill them.

Grumbling at the uncooperative beast and his own disappointment at its refusal to obey, his loss of its forced obedience, he made his awkward way back up the stairs. He'd feed it again this evening and hope that it began to cooperate again, however grudgingly.

For now, it was still staying out of sight and silent. The vampire might have a predator's patience to wait for the door to open and to escape, but Abraham had a healthy sense of self-preservation to go along with his courage. And the beast, no matter how clever it was being, would stay in that room.

x x x x x x

In the dark of his cell, the starved vampire remained still, a motionless husk. Frustration had faded into an agony of hunger, confusion, and a deep despair.

Master was angry, and he was so hungry, so hungry, and trapped.

x x x x x x

Rats were clever creatures, and it had returned to see if there was food again tonight. The bottle's cork reeked of blood, and the busy creature worked at it, forcing it off the shelf to shatter on the floor near the first. Halfway through its meal, it was joined by another rat, then a third, following the scent of blood.

Their squeaks and scuffles as they fought over the feast of blood tormented the vampire. They could eat, they could move, they were not alone. And they had consumed and spoiled the blood he so desperately needed.

If he could have wailed his anguish, he would have. The madness nibbled at his mind again, and he was too weak, too faint, to repress it. 


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

It was noon when Abraham went to check on his misbehaving monster again. Mina and her husband were with him, both with loaded guns and Holy Water. With them to watch over him, Abraham felt a little more confident in his protection should Dracula be awake and violent. It was also useful to have their assistance as he navigated the stairs. Seward would be by to check on his leg tomorrow, but for now, he was still using those damnable awkward crutches.

At least it didn't hurt now. Seward had confided that he'd been prepared to take the leg off as soon as they had the vampire contained again. He'd said it had gone septic and his concern had been that Abraham remain lucid long enough to recapture the vampire...he'd given up on keeping the leg. How the blazes had the vampire healed it, anyways?

Father Jacobs had told him that the vampire seemed exhausted afterwards, which was to be expected, it was well into morning by the time the beast had been discovered. And he'd had some burns from the sun, probably very minor ones. The beast had been seen out and about in daylight by Johnathan Harker himself, so it clearly wasn't overly detrimental. And the blood he'd been fed had healed the vampire, though Abraham himself hadn't gotten to see that.

No, by the time he was functional again, the beast was back in the basement. And it had avoided him since then, refusing to cooperate. The gratitude had been leavened with suspicion from the beginning, and now it had nearly evaporated from the anger.

Still, handling crutches and a splinted leg beat the hell out of being a bedbound amputee. And the Harkers were willing to carry the bottles of blood, lanterns, and weapons to the basement, then return to lend him a pair of shoulders to make it back down!

x x x x x

The door creaked ominously, though the lanterns in the narrow windows showed no sign of the beast. Once the outer door was closed firmly behind him, he prepared to open the inner door. Sweat beaded and his heart raced; he fully expected the vampire to be waiting beside the door, ready to attack. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the door open, thrusting the Rosary in front of himself, and flinched, waiting for a roar of anger...

To hear nothing. Cautiously, he peered about, entering the room slowly...no vampire at all. He was asleep, or feigning such. Back to the wall, he circled about, crutches thumping steadily on the floor, gun at the ready, trying to catch a glimpse of the vampire sleeping behind the coffin. No vampire.

One of two things had occurred. Either the vampire had regained the courage to sleep in his coffin on his own...or it had escaped. A sudden thought had Abraham flinching and jerking his head about to stare at the ceiling...but no vampire clung to it.

Dear God, please let it be in the coffin...

x x x x x x x x

His gasp upon seeing what was in the coffin had brought anxious questions from his two guards, and he motioned them in.

"Bring all the blood, and the lanterns." His voice was quiet, calm, and very, very serious. "He's not posing any danger at the moment."

The bright lights of the additional lanterns fell on the vampire. It lay quiescent, the blanket from Father Jacobs still partially wrapped around its form. The skin was pale, wrinkled, and incredibly thin. The eyelids were paper-like, the lips dry and flaking. Every part of the beast seemed dessicated and emaciated. Even the skin on the fingers was pulled back from the nailbeds, making them look like talons instead of the well-groomed nails the vampire had sported. The bones of the body, the hips, shoulders, ribs, protruded up, pressing against the thin skin, looking ready to split it. The hair had gone to a ghostly white, so thin and wispy as to look like a tangle of cobwebs.

The vampire wasn't injured this time. And he looked marginally better than when Abraham had opened the coffin a month ago...but he was still clearly in very, very poor shape.

Abraham had noted the shattered bottles when he first came in the room, but had simply thought the vampire had broken them in anger. Leaving the Harkers to stare, shocked, at the vampire, he moved closer to the broken bits.

Rats. There were the marks of gnawing teeth on the corks, dozens of sticky little prints all about the shards, and a great half-dried pool of sticky blood smeared across the floor. Alucard hadn't had any of this.

And the vampire had clearly been far, far more exhausted by healing Abraham than the others had led him to believe, or far more badly burned by the sun than a few red patches. With a twinge, Abraham hoped the vampire had been asleep and unaware of what had occurred. Otherwise... damnation. It was a repeat of what had happened before, and the vampire was nowhere near sane enough to come through that unscathed. Starved and trapped in his coffin, yet again.

Frustrated with himself and feeling the slightest touch of guilt for the vampire's condition, Abraham moved to stand by the coffin, looking down at his sadly neglected charge.

"Mina, would you bring me the chair from the hall?"

Settling down in the chair by the coffin, he pulled out the funnel and the first bottle of blood, and began to feed the vampire. 


	37. Chapter 37

Ch 37

Red eyes cracked open, then opened wide in surprise. Still hungry...not starved. Only hungry. Master had fed him?

Fed him...and left him in the coffin! With a whine of fear, the vampire scrambled to escape, hampered by the blanket wrapped about his legs, fear turning to near panic as his escape was delayed, unaware it was a mere blanket.

He fell heavily on his side, feet still tangled, but out of the coffin. Out! Fear lessening, his mind returning, he looked to see what had held him in place. Only a blanket, only a blanket, and he sighed in relief. No ropes, no chains. Just a blanket, and in a few kicks the blanket no longer constrained his legs.

Glancing about, he noticed...light. There was light. Confused at the change, he curled up against his coffin, blinking and looking about, unable to see anything producing the light. Twisting, he looked behind the coffin...candles? Lanterns? Yes, a row of them in each of the windows, throwing their light into his room.

x x x x x x

Abraham watched the clumsy, timid actions of the vampire with a frown of disapproval. It had been frightened by a blanket, confused by the additional light...and even now simply huddled quietly by the coffin. He'd placed the four bottles that arrived in this afternoon's delivery in chamber near the coffin, and Alucard hadn't even noticed them yet.

The red eyes seemed vague, confused. He hoped it would pass, with the additional food and time.

"Alucard." The beast startled, falling over then scrambling to hide behind the coffin. Damn. Modulating his tone to a more pleasant one, for his gruffness had clearly been too intimidating, Abraham continued. "Alucard, there are four fresh bottles of blood in there for you to drink. When you finish them, place them back in the rack. Place the rack in the windows." A deep breath, for he wasn't sure how Alucard would react to his next statement. "You'll be confined to this room until a new set of restraints has been fashioned or the previous ones repaired. I'll feed you every day, as before, but the bottles will be in the window, and you'll take your fresh ones from the window as well. No one will be entering the room with you."

The vampire simply stared vaguely at him, the pale face expressionless. The meal earlier today had certainly helped, and he'd gone through every bottle Abraham had possessed, but the vampire was still gray-haired and past lanky into bony. The vagueness and lack of expression worried Abraham. "Alucard, do you understand your directions?" A long pause before he gave a hesitant nod.

"Speak, Alucard. No nodding. Tell me." Instead of answering, the eyes simply got wider, the vampire curling up, hands curled in front of his mouth, jaw moving slightly, but no sound. As before, he was trying, but not successfully, to obey. While it was a relief to know the vampire was still obedient, it was frustrating to realize that it had fallen so far back in its progress.

"Nevermind answering, Alucard. Just eat and rest. I'll be back tomorrow. Leave the lanterns and candles lit." He felt a bit bad about leaving the vampire alone in the dark, and having the bright golden lights assuaged a bit of that guilt. He peered back in one final time, only to see two worried red eyes watching back, then went upstairs.

x x x x x

Alone. He didn't WANT to be alone. He wanted Master. He finally voiced a whine, finding his vocal cords responding to his wishes...then flinched. Has Master heard? Would Master be angry?

Why hadn't Master come in? Master always took him to the office. Why not tonight? Had he done something wrong? The worry ate at him, and he wanted to curl up in the dark and hide. But there was not enough dark. Too much light, not safe, not safe. Alone.

Still hungry...and he crept to the bottles, staring at them a few long minutes before remembering how to open them and drink from them. Yes, hungry. These were cold, he remembered hot blood from the Priest, oh, how good! But these filled him, not hungry, not now. Maybe a little. Not much.

Master wanted something. Had given him directions. What? What to do? Brow furrowed, he stared at the bottles, thinking. Yes. Bottles in window. It was hard to remember what to do, but bottles into basket. Yes. Wire, bottles clinked on wire. Now, basket into window? Would it fit?

No. Too tall. Not by much. But too tall with bottles in it.

Master would be angry if they were not in the window. He shifted, staring at the bottles and basket in his hands and the too-short window, rocking back and forth. He gave the basket a tentative shove, hearing the clink and rattle as the tops of the bottles cracked against the window. Whining...he needed...they go in Window! Turning the basket? No, too tall. The whining became more frantic and he began to sway back and forth. No, no, must go in window!

With a frustrated wail, he gave them a hard shove. Bottles cracked, tops flying off, glass sprinkling his face and shards shattering into his hair. So noisy! he winced...Master must have heard, Master would be angry...frozen, still, listen for Master...

No sound. A peek with one cautious eye. Bottles in window? Yes. Both eyes opened, he blinked at the bottles and basket.

Done.

He returned to his coffin, crouching behind it, out of the too-bright light. Too bright. Shadows, blanket? Yes. Blanket. Draping it over him helped somewhat, and he crouched beside the coffin, hiding behind it from the lights Abraham had left for him.

Why lights? Master needed light, yes, but not a vampire. Was Master angry, was this punishment?

Tense and shaking, he waited as the hours drifted by and the lights burned out, one by one. Finally back in the safe darkness, he stretched out by his coffin, thinking. Blanket...PILLOW! He rose, looking into the coffin...yes! Pillow was there! He hesitated briefly about reaching in but ignored the slight stab of fear from the coffin and pulled it out.

Face buried in the pillow, form hidden under the blanket, he lay still as the remaining hours crept by until morning. 


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

(I had a message indicating some confusion about the windows, so here's the description. They are horizontal openings that sit about 5 feet up the wall. Picture them about 3 or 4 feet long, with heavy iron bars every 10 inches or so along them. They are about 8 inches high - long, narrow slits in the walls, with bars spaced too close to wriggle out. They're deep, too, since that's a main wall, probably ten inches from front to back. Those bars are thick, the size of a can. Why? They're supporting a lot of weight. Those long windows would collapse in the center without that support! The bottles are almost 8 inches high, but when in the wire basket, they're closer to 8 1/2...just BARELY too tall to fit!)

x x x x xx x

He'd broken the bottles. Every last one had the top bit shattered off, they were cracked, and they were wedged in tightly, crushed into the window. It took a substantial amount of wiggling to work the basket free, and he was unsurprised to see the wires twisted and damaged.

For a moment, anger flared. Alucard had deliberately damaged this in a petty fit! And then...common sense kicked in. The vampire hadn't seemed angry, and certainly wasn't coherent. It was his own fault for telling Alucard to put the bottles in the windows and not making sure they fit first.

There would be splinters of glass inside the cell as well. He really, truly didn't want to be in the room with an insane vampire, but it was the middle of the day...and Alucard hadn't been at all aggressive. Asking any of the household staff to assist him would only place the inexperienced people at risk, and no one familiar with Alucard was available today. Leaving the glass shards in there posed a risk to the vampire, though he'd heal any wound...and Abraham was very, very reluctant to leave any sort of object in that room with the beast. Some of those bits of glass were fairly large, and quite sharp. It was like leaving a set of small knives with the beast!

And the cleaning supplies were right there...tucked away in the storage room near the cell, from when Alucard was cleaning that layer of filth off it. Why not?

Thus, Abraham found himself in the cell with the sleeping vampire, quietly sweeping up the debris with the faintest of chinks and swishings of the bristles. It was a matter of a few moments, and, knowing it was risky and he really shouldn't, he went to look at his vampire.

There wasn't much to see. Alucard had completely hidden himself under the blanket, a few wisps of black hair and the corner of a pillow were the only things visible. The vampire was an immobile lump, apparently sound asleep, as he should be. Abraham left with a small smile. He'd bring another set of bottles by tonight. Leaving them during the day would simply feed a rat!

x x x x x x x

Alucard woke slowly, listening...and hearing the faint sound of a heartbeat outside his room, the steady breathing. Master! A smile pulled up his face and he stretched, arms and feet extending from under the blanket, then rolled over and pushed himself up into a sitting position. A brief sniff told him that Master had been in his room. Master said he would not? Why? Ah, the broken glass. It had been cleaned up.

A pause and slight frown. Why had the glass broken? Oh...oh. An internal wince. That had been foolish of him, he could have simply removed the bottles from the basket. But hungry and stressed, he hadn't even considered it. He hoped Abraham wasn't angry...

A clink? His head jerked up, looking at the windows, where a bottle rested on its side, and another one had joined it. As he rose, a third bottle joined the row of them lying on the window ledge, and as he walked towards them, a fourth.

"Master?" Tentative, for he didn't really know if Abraham was upset...but he didn't think the man was. The glass had been cleaned, and he was being fed...and fed four bottles, at that! Good...he was hungry. He'd been a little bit hungry when he fell asleep, and now he was approaching ravenous.

"I've brought you tonight's meals, Alucard." The metallic rattle of a basket being set down on the stone. "When you've finished them, simply place them back in the window. No basket. And no breaking this set." Alucard flinched slightly...but it took only a moment to realize that there was humor in the statement, not anger. Not reprimand.

"Yes, Master." He wanted to speak to Abraham, but hungry as he was, the food took precedence. A white hand darted out and removed the lid, and the bottle was immediately emptied. As he reached for the second bottle, Abraham spoke again.

"Are you that hungry? Will four bottles be enough?"

His hand stopped mid-way to the bottle. Would it be alright to ask for more? Did he need more? No...this should be enough to fill the hunger. "I am very hungry, but this is enough blood. I won't be hungry afterwards."

x x x x x x

Abraham stood in quiet amazement as the second bottle vanished and the soft, wet sounds of a feeding vampire were audible. Alucard...he'd expected to find a mute moron again. Instead, he was as articulate as he'd been before this entire episode. How...heartening. A relief, indeed. Sleep and food had been all the creature needed to regain the sense he'd lost. That being the case, he'd be able to ask a few questions of his pet! Waiting, he allowed the vampire to finish the second bottle. When it had joined the first, he began his questioning.

"Alucard, you healed my leg, but it's still tender. Seward says the bones have not yet knit. How long will this take, and what are the limits to your healing ability?" He cursed himself slightly for not bringing paper and pencil, but he was very eager to hear Alucard's answers.

"Bones...they take longer than anything else, more effort to heal. Yours were not just broken, but splintered. And they were...diseased. Foul." The vampire paused, organizing his next thoughts. "I cleaned them and put them together and they joined, but they aren't at full strength. Not yet. Maybe a week." Another brief wait. "They'll heal very fast. You shouldn't walk on them yet. Maybe tomorrow. No stairs, no running. But walking."

A longer pause, for Abraham had asked a very broad question about healing abilities in vampires. And Alucard had to decide how to answer it. Abraham didn't rush him, instead settling quietly into the chair that had previously been in the chamber. And his patience was repaid.

"Not mortal wounds, not unless I am right there, and they are small." A clink as Alucard lifted the third bottle. "Yours...was the most severe wound I have healed. I do not often heal, but sometimes, sometimes, an important servant would be injured...and it was easier to heal them than to wait for them to recover, or not, on their own." A soft shuffling sound, a faint rasp, the quiet thump of the interior door resting on its frame. The vampire had apparently sat against the door...Yes. he rose and peered through the window, seeing the feet outstretched. Alucard was resting with his back to the door. Abraham settled back into his chair, and Alucard began to speak again.

"Sickness...I can't heal that. But torn muscles, broken bones, stab wounds or bullet wounds, yes. Small ones are easy. Larger ones...they are difficult. I always had my family to help if needed." A long pause, and Abraham couldn't tell if the beast was mourning, plotting revenge, or simply organizing his thoughts. "Your leg...that was as much as I could do."

"So why did you heal it?" Abraham had been longing to know this answer, though he didn't know if he could trust the vampire.

"I couldn't let you die." The simple surprise in the monster's voice rocked Abraham back into his chair.

"Explain."

There was only a quiet whine, then in a pleading voice Alucard asked, "May I eat this first? Please, I am very hungry."

Hungry, or buying time for an answer. Abraham shrugged to himself mentally. Since he was prepared to disbelieve anything the vampire said, giving it more time to create a better lie wasn't much of an issue. And it if was hungry...letting it feed first would make it more able to focus on the answer. He frowned a bit. Why had it asked, instead of just eating? A soft whine recalled him to the moment. "Yes, Alucard. Eat that, and I am going to get my notebook. If I'm not back soon, you may go ahead and drink the last bottle, too."

x x x x x x

The last bottle had vanished when Abraham returned with his blanket, notebook, and pencils. It was too chilly down there to not keep covered, and he intended to question the beast as long as it was able to answer. A blanket would be needed if he was sitting still for any length of time. He did wonder if the four bottles really were enough, as Alucard had eaten all four already.

"Alucard...are you finished?"

"Yes, Master." A clink as the fourth bottle, empty, reappeared on the window ledge. The rim of the bottle, of all the bottles, was polished clean and every drop Alucard could reach had been removed.

"Are you still hungry?" Damned if he knew what to do tonight if the creature was, but he'd know to bring extra again tomorrow.

"Yes...," and the voice of the vampire was slightly embarrassed. "I was hungrier than I thought." And now hopeful. "Do you have another bottle?"

"No, not tonight." A faint whine of disappointment. "I'll be sure to bring extra tomorrow." Pulling the pencil out, he proceeded to question his pet again. "Now, why did you heal me?"

The answer was not what he expected.

x x x x x x

It was hard to sleep that night. There was some guilt...and some disbelief. The vampire was absolutely terrified of being unprotected, it felt...helpless. It was sane enough to realize it was insane, too damaged to exist on its own. Without him to protect it, Alucard felt incredibly vulnerable.

It was terrified of HIM. Terrified that if it angered him, or hurt him, and didn't succeed in killing him, he'd lock it back in the coffin. It was convinced that, no matter where it hid, he'd find it. After all, it had been at the Priest's house less than a full day, and he'd found it. And if it did kill him...then it was unprotected. And Abraham had conclusively proven to the beast that there were men out there who knew how to kill it, how to find it.

It was also why he hadn't bitten the Priest. Alucard was quite clear that he had wanted to, but was too frightened of what Abraham would do in retaliation.

That was the logical answer, but there was more, something Abraham didn't know if the vampire realized yet. Its description of the Priest had an element of fondness...he wondered if the vampire hadn't really wanted to bite the priest, and had used Abraham's predicted reaction as an excuse to itself for not doing so? And later...it had seemed frantic, tense, at the thought that Van Helsing could die. He'd made the mistake (and thus ended the questioning) of asking the vampire what it would do if he died naturally, what it would have done if he'd died from blood poisoning when his leg went bad.

The sudden, horrified response and pathetic, intense keening had startled Abraham immensely. The vampire had gone almost entirely incomprehensible at that point, impossibly distressed at the thought. Unstable was too mild a word for the beast, and oversensitive didn't even BEGIN to describe how reactive it was!

Yes, it had sound reasons for keeping him alive. Even so, it had exhausted itself cleaning and healing his leg, when it could have left the job half-done, once the infection was removed and the bones set. He'd have had a horrible scar and a limp...but the vampire hadn't done so. Instead, it had drained itself to the point that it was entirely helpless, exhausted and nearly immobile. The leg was absolutely and entirely intact.

Whether or not the vampire was truly aware of them, the emotional reasons for healing him and its need for him were possibly important, perhaps the most important, factor in its reactions! 


	39. Chapter 39

Possess ch 39

(I know, I know...it was a long delay for this chapter. Blame the holidays...and a dose of writer's block! :) Hope you enjoy!)

By midafternoon, Abraham had sent out the last of the letters and telegrams. Various hunters, dabblers in the occult, anyone he could think of that would have any input on designing the new restraints for the vampire. The telegrams had been vague at best, due to the more open nature of their transmission, but he'd promised a full explanation when the recipient arrived. He only hoped it would be soon; the ones living in Britain might be there within the next few days!

He ordered his staff to clean and prepare the guest bedrooms in his home, to purchase additional foodstuffs, and to reinforce the admonition that they were, under no circumstances, to enter the basement. A few had been aware that he had a prisoner of some sort down there, and there were sideways glances and mutters at this. He'd tried to warn them that it was a vampire, and a few had seen the beast in his office, but that was as far as it went. One or two believed it was a vampire, a few more believed it was a madman that thought it was a vampire...and the others wondered. He could hardly take them downstairs to show them the beast, not now. And before it had been far too intimidated and flighty. And so he worried, hoping that they'd stay safe and stay their curiosity.

They were obedient, but if they got within arms reach of that cell...

He'd gotten six bottles of blood. He felt vaguely guilty about the vampire being hungry; it was harder and harder to remember just how many people he had destroyed, poor Lucy's fate, his attempts to control Mina...and not just pity the wretched shell of the vampire that remained. But keeping it hungry accomplished nothing, and as long as the vampire was so unrestrained and dangerous, he wanted to keep it as sated and unaggressive as possible. Four bottles for the last few nights hadn't been enough, but the six ought to finish filling the beast up.

Even considering its initial starved condition.

x x x x x x x

The sun set, finding Abraham settled snugly in his chair. It was a rickety thing, and not terribly comfortable. If this was going to be a continued event, he was going to have to bring down something superior. For now, a cushion softened the wooden seat and a thick blanket kept off the chill. It didn't take long for him to hear the vampire rouse, though it had been out-of-sight behind the coffin.

"Alucard?" A short pause then the sleepy half-awake voice of the monster came back to him.

"Yes, Master?"

"You've got six bottles tonight, it should be sufficient. Eat, and then I have some questions for you."

The vampire got very quiet, no longer moving or shifting about, not replying. But after a few moments of silence, he heard it shift about again. It was probably worrying about what he'd want to know. Let it worry. After observing its odd attachment to him, if that was what was occurring, he intended to ask about vampire "families" and how vampires interacted. It might shed some light on its current behavior, and if not, it would fill in some of the unknowns about these beasts.

A chink as the first bottle was removed and drained, then the second, nearly as quickly. When the third bottle was finished, and Alucard had slowed down substantially, Abraham judged it time to begin his questioning. The fourth bottle had been pulled off the shelf, and curious red eyes had peered out at him briefly. The rustling thump of the vampire settling against the door signalled Abraham to start, for the worst of its hunger was clearly appeased.

"Alucard, I want to know about vampire family and social structures tonight. To begin with, why do vampires create offspring?"

There was the normal long pause, and just when Abraham had begun to wonder about whether his vampire was sane enough to answer tonight, Alucard chuckled. Annoyed, Abraham snapped at him, "What is so amusing about that, vampire?"

"Master, you never cease to surprise me. It's simply nothing I would ever have thought a human would be concerned with." A quiet gurgle as the beast swallowed. "There are many reasons for creating a child, same as with humans. A vampire may have a large territory, and wish to have assistance in controlling it. There may be another vampire that poses a threat; children are not powerful for years, but even a new one might be enough to discourage another vampire from challenging." After a pause and another swallow, Alucard continued, his voice a bit softer now, almost sad. "Loneliness, too. Humans are humans, and they age and die. Vampires learn quickly not to become attached, but we do not do well alone. During the time a child stays with its maker, which can be years, even decades, there is companionship. And...there is the occasional human that we do become...attached...to, and change into a child."

His pencil moved busily across the sheet as Alucard spoke, and continued after the vampire had halted. A few more minutes of rapid writing, and he looked up at the dark windows. "So why do vampires not just find other vampires? Why do they take a human instead?"

A short bark of laughter. "Master, we are territorial. Two vampires without territory, young, that encounter each other may choose to travel together. But when a new territory is chosen, the...relationship...ends. There is always a fight, a battle, and the weakest one is consumed by the stronger unless it somehow manages to flee."

Interesting, he hadn't known this, hadn't known it at all. It explained some of what he had observed, certainly. "How big is a vampire's territory?"

A snort. Alucard was certainly losing some of his respectful ways, though he was still being cooperative. The pencil scratched as Abraham made a note of this behavior, then the vampire continued. "It depends entirely on the vampire. Some claim only their own home, with little concern for who may hunt about them. Those are rare. Most stake out a territory large enough to feed them. It could be several blocks of a city, or several square miles of countryside, or a small town or two. It depends on how strong the vampire is, if it has a child to feed, convenience, any number of things. A truly strong vampire may have a territory stretching out for leagues in any direction. Often, the former children will establish their own lesser territories there, still obedient to their maker's orders."

Abraham took notes on this, listening as the vampire finished the fourth bottle and announced its return to the window with the chink of glass on stone, drawing off the fifth bottle and settling back down. Abraham wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer to this question...but it needed to be asked. Alucard would likely be furious at the reminder of all he had lost.

And the vampire surprised him. He'd expressed no anger at the reminder of his lost brides, and expressed none now at the reminder of his lost kingdom.

"And how large was your own territory, Alucard?"

The expected pause loomed, but Alucard's voice was entirely reasonable, if sad...no anger, not even a trace of irritation. "It has gotten smaller over the last few centuries. Once, I claimed all of Romania and much of the neighboring countries as my territory. But it was tiresome and unnecessary, and I grew...bored...with it. I could reclaim it at any time I wished, after all." Simple and frank, he continued, "I did not wish it. I had a castle, a few dozen villages sufficient to feed myself and any offspring, larger towns when our appetites placed too great a demand on the residents or when my children expressed boredom."

Odd, that the vampire was so complacent about his territory, so confident that he could reclaim it whenever he wished. Just how powerful had Dracula been? A few additional notes, and then Abraham continued. "And why did you leave to come to England, then."

A huffing sigh with the faintest hint of a growl. "It is not only my children that could become bored. The world was changing. I wished to see it,..." The pause drug out, and Abraham realized that this meant the vampire had chosen to not say something... He no longer had the option of concealing information.

Abraham snapped at him, angry and forceful. "Vampire, you will mind your mouth and your attitude with me. You've been borderline insolent, and you do not get to choose what you will and will not tell me. Finish your sentence, damn you. If I suspect you are holding out on my your quarters and your meal will be far less satisfactory!"

A gasp from the room, then a quiet mewling whimper, then silence. "Dammit, vampire, do you understand me?" His voice was lower, more restrained, but the anger fairly vibrated in it. Dracula might be recovering himself, but he would remember to be fully obedient and respectful or suffer the consequences.

The reply was choked and muffled, but a clear, if quiet, "Yes, Master." was heard.

"Continue."

A soft whine, and a longer silence than Abraham was comfortable with before the vampire spoke. The broken, stiff nature of its voice signalled to Abraham that its mental coherency was evaporating under the stress. Sensitive, the beast was so damnably SENSITIVE! "Lonely, was lonely." A whisper, almost a guitly admission.

"You had three wives. Why were you lonely." It was a command more than a question, but the vampire would answer it.

And he did, though the whining increased slightly in level and a rhythmic swishing sound indicated the vampire was likely rocking back and forth again beside the door. "Mad, Master. They were mad. Not good company. Not anymore. Had ghouls. Ghouls are ghouls. Better than alone. But ghouls." A sharp gasping intake of breath, then the remaining words rushed out. "People in England, new people, different, maybe a new child, interesting, different child!"

Lucy. Lucy had been different, interesting, lively, confident...and he'd certainly turned the poor girl. That memory, combined with the sudden and intense crumbling of the vampire's cognitive abilities, pushed Abraham into a foul mood.

He'd come to England because the damn beast was bored and lonely. And for that whim, the crew of the Demeter and poor Lucy had died. The anger pushed him out of his chair and he ignored the splint on his leg, swinging it wide as he paced up and down the short hallway, working the anger out of his system. In its cell, the vampire had begun a quiet keening, clearly aware of the anger Van Helsing was experiencing.

Its terror dampened his rage, calmed him. Evil it might have been, but it had suffered. And, he realized with a start, it was probably "lonely" now. As damaged as it was, was it seeking him as some sort of companion in its own mad way? That could explain some of its obvious need for him...

He'd think more on this later. Calmer, he paused, speaking clearly to the now-wailing monster. "Calm down. Finish your meal, place the bottles and any leftover blood in the windows. I'll be back tomorrow night." The vampire quieted down, though the soft panting was just barely audible to Van Helsing's ears. Leaving the folded blanket on the seat, he reclaimed his notebook and pencil and moved up the stairs.

His leg wasn't even tender now, the splint more of a nuisance than a support. Perhaps he'd remove it tonight after all. John had thought he'd need it for several more days, but Alucard had said his leg would heal very quickly. Yes, he'd take it off tonight, he could put it back on if his leg became tender tomorrow.

He was musing on these thoughts as he closed the door at the stairs, moving on towards his own warm bed.

Underneath his home, a frightened vampire huddled. Fresh in his mind was all he'd lost, his current isolation...and the threat than an angry Abraham could pose to him. It was past dawn before his exhausted mind ceased panicking enough for him to sleep.  
> <p>


	40. Chapter 40

Ch 40

(yes, short chapter. I'm off to eat supper)

Tired. He was just...tired. He needed his coffin, and wished Abraham would put him in it, but the man refused to come in the room. A little smile of humor at the ridiculousness of the situation crossed the bloodless lips, but only a small one. A vampire, frightened of his own coffin, the situation made yet more absurd by him changing from being terrified of Abraham placing him in it, to longing to be placed in it.

His Master had already come and gone that evening. It was becoming routine now, though nowhere near as pleasant as the previous trips upstairs and outside. Master would come and place the bottles in the window and be waiting when Alucard woke. There would be time to eat, then questions; about vampires, fledglings, territories, requests for information on how many vampires were in London, and more.

The small smile reappeared at that. Abraham had asked him how many vampires were in London. And he'd answered, frankly, that he had no idea. There could be two, or a hundred and two. All he knew was that there were seven less vampires than there had been a year ago; he'd destroyed and consumed them.

His Master was more than a little shocked at that revelation. Alucard couldn't see why. They were pests. Young, far too cocky, surrounding themselves with ghouls, no pride, no real idea of what they were. Any vampire worth a damn had known exactly who HE was, and avoided him. Killing those brats had been simply taking out the garbage.

Afterwards, Abraham had wanted to know how vampires fought, what they did. It had been a bit of a challenge, hiding from Abraham just how powerful he was, and yet still providing him with accurate information. Abraham didn't need to know just what Alucard was capable of; he was a bit worried the man would cease to interact with him entirely.

He'd been trapped in this basement nearly a week. It was good to see Abraham no longer favoring the injured leg, but striding along on it and clattering down the stairs with no regard for it. It was good that Master would come to keep him company, remaining nearby to complete his notes, not abandoning him, not at all.

But still, it was lonely. And he missed the moon, the outdoors, missed seeing and hearing and smelling more than the muffled and faint signals found in the basement.

And he most definitely missed sleeping. 


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

He was lying quietly, staring at the ceiling, puzzling out the runes, when he heard the noises. He was fairly certain he could untangle that spell; his own powers were returning rapidly with his mental recovery. He was completely certain that, in a pinch, he could make it out a window...but he'd like to be able to render the entire floor and ceiling passable. The walls, he couldn't do anything with short of removing them. And then the noise disrupted and distracted him.

Voices...on the stairs?

Half of him froze in panic, for none of those voices were Abraham. And half of him froze in a predator's crouch, listening to the approach of potential prey. Whispering, they were whispering, and coming down the stairs. Two males, one female. Female? He purred a bit to himself, red eyes narrowing. No, no. This was Master's house, and he'd be certain to find out if Alucard indulged in a bit of a snack. And he wasn't hungry, either. Killing them would be entertaining, but not worth it. He'd killed plenty of people before and had no doubt that plenty more awaited him in the future. He could pass up a meal on his full stomach and forgo a hunt. The potential fallout was not worth it.

Excited, nervous, young, the voices stopped outside his room. They had a single candle, and clearly hadn't spotted the lantern he knew Abraham kept by his chair. The light was, at best, dim...and it wasn't possible for human eyes to see him. Fear fading, for these were mere adolescents, his mouth gaped into a fanged grin.

Perhaps his boredom was about to be lifted? He moved quietly and quickly out of sight, waiting crouched by the door.

They argued, in fierce whispers. Was there really a prisoner? They'd never seen it. And there wasn't anyone in there, right? No one was answering them, they couldn't see anyone. If there was someone there, there were three of them and only one person, they could take care of themselves. What could Mr. Van Helsing be hiding down there, after all? He was so rich, was there a treasure down there? The girl was cautious, the boys reckless in their competition for her attention, and the vampire grinned wider. Foolish youth...they'd be in his cell in moments.

The candle was thrust up and through the window, and the children saw his coffin. And, being children, in the dark, they immediately thought it must be a treasure chest of some sort. And convinced themselves that Abraham would never miss a little of the money, he had so very much!

Alucard paused in thought. If they came in, he could leave with them none the wiser. If they saw him leave, he'd have to control them or they might tell an adult, and then his fun would be over. And he didn't want to waste the time and energy controlling them, either. He was leery of leaving them with his coffin...but they likely wouldn't damage it. They had nothing but a candle, and he could take care of that before leaving.

Sure enough, before too long, the outer door, then the inner door, crept open. He grinned, crouching in anticipation, as they eased into the room and approached his coffin. Foolish, foolish children, they never even glanced about the room at all. And as they approached the coffin, stopping in shock as they identified it...his slim hand flashed out and pinched the candle's flame.

Trapped in a dark basement with no light and a coffin, the children panicked. Alucard made it out the door before them, and up the stairs. He could hear them bumbling about in the dark, attempting to leave. His coffin would be safe, it would be some time before they managed to get the courage to go back in the basement. And now...he could wander the house.

A small portion of his mind wondered why he wasn't simply taking the opportunity to grab his coffin and leave. He wouldn't have been able to fit it through the windows, but he could certainly take it out the door and vanish. And it was tempting...but Abraham would find him. The vampire shuddered, hidden in the dark end of the hallway, crouched beside an ornately carved table and clock. Yes, Abraham WOULD find him. And if he killed Abraham...the others would come after him. Not so skillful nor intelligent as Abraham, but he didn't want to have to hide again, to worry.

No, he would not touch Abraham. He was safe here, Abraham provided for him and sheltered him and had not mistreated him. But he had not seen the moon for a week, had not had any fresh air, had been inside far too long.

And so the lanky form unfolded itself, traveling the opposite direction the frightened children had run, moving to where it wanted to be. 


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The office was pleasantly dark and chill, the fire long since gone out, and best of all it was filled with the odor of Abraham and his pipes. The vampire took a few silent stealthy steps in, and then the faint smile faded from his lips. The barely-audible sounds of a drizzling mist , the ticking of the tiny drops against the glass, had reached his sensitive ears.

It was raining. There would be no moon-watching tonight.

Resigned, he moved to the window. He could go wander about the house, but he was simply too tired. The excitement of leaving his room had worn off, and he could hear the children far away in the house, far from both himself and his coffin, easy to ignore. He pulled a cushion off the settee as he passed it, then curled up on it in the window, shoulder and cheek against the glass, watching as the gloomy weather drooled down the pain. The yard outside was the focus of his attention for a bit, the sleek form of a damp fox darting across the corner, and then he stirred himself to crack open a window...not enough to let the water in, not more than a few drops...but enough to bring a breeze of air into his room.

The thick, wet, lush smell of the drenched yard filled his nostrils, and he took a deep breath, then another. Quiet, dark, with fresh air in his nose and the hypnotic tracery of silver on the windows, his eyes drooped closed and he relaxed. This was so much better than being downstairs, truly it was.

Time passed, the vampire occasionally startling awake after an exceptionally strong nightmare, then watching the damp skies and sparkling windowpanes until he dozed off again.

x x x x x x

It was still dark when the hands shook Abraham awake, and he woke to see the dim and solemn face of his butler. His half-asleep mind raced. Fire? Burglar?

Worse.

"The door to the basement is open. The cook saw it on her way to start the breads, and woke me." Abraham sat up, swearing softly under his breath. A look up to the butler, "Thank you for waking me. " It would have saved time if the cook had woken him herself, but propriety kept a woman from waking a man. He hoped the delay hadn't cost a life...or several.

It was a matter of moments to take a lantern and loaded pistol, and race down the stairs. He was, briefly, very grateful to have a whole leg...and then the open door to the vampire's chamber came into view. Both doors. And the chamber empty...as he had feared.

He had no idea how the beast had gotten the doors open, but he'd have to chain it in the coffin when he caught it again. A wince...he hated the thought of doing that to the vampire, but there weren't any other options, not now. Reaching the top of the stairs, he turned back to the butler and the cook, who stood behind him, apron twisted in her hands. "Wake the stablehands. Tell them to go to the Harkers, Seward's Asylum, and Lord Godalmings estates, immediately. Tell the Harkers, John, and Arthur that Alucard got out last night. They are not to spare the horses, but to make haste!" He had the two of them repeat the message, stressing that the information must be passed on to the other four immediately, and sent them out. There had been enough comings-and-goings between the homes that the stablehands should be able to reach the homes without any guidance from him.

And now...he had to find the vampire. Waiting on the others to arrive would be another hour at best. At the least, he could ascertain that it was not in his own home, that it had escaped.

The butler looked dubiously at the garlic and the crucifix draped about his neck, and handled the gun like it was a child's soiled diaper, with much the same expression on his face. If Abraham didn't control his wage, he had no doubt what the man would have said to him. But as most of the adult males in the household were either sound asleep or racing down the roads on horses, he'd have to do. "Look, if we are attacked, shoot. Point, pull the trigger. Then pull this part down." Abraham indicated the lever at the back of the gun, "and shoot again. Aim for the head and the heart, although if the bullets hit it anywhere, they will slow it down."

And so the search began. They started in the maid's quarters, with the cook opening the doors to peer in and check each of the girls. It was here that Abraham expected to find the beast, but each of the young women was sound asleep, entirely and utterly unharmed. One woke when they entered, but that was all. Where was that monster?

x x x x x x x x

Asleep.

It was curled in the office window, asleep. Abraham had gone there on a whim, not truly expecting to find the vampire there...to discover it was very much there, and very much asleep.

It had taken a cushion and used it as a seat, opening the window. Abraham turned up the lamps, noting that though the window was barely cracked, the seat cushion was soaked. Unless the window had been opened much farther, the vampire had to have been there for hours.

Sitting. Sleeping.

And every person in the household had been accounted for, and found uninjured. It was possible the vampire had bitten and healed them, but he already looked a little thin, having eaten many hours previously. Abraham counted the biting only as a dim possibility.

The damn beast had gotten loose somehow, escaped the basement, had the run of the house and any of a dozen potential meals handy...

And had come up to his office and fallen asleep.

Damnation. Puzzled and pensive, Abraham settled himself at his desk, pulling out his pipe and puffing a few comtemplative clouds of smoke. What was the vampire up to? What devious little scheme was in its mind at this time, what was it planning?

Damned if he could tell. Maybe the others, especially Mina, would have some insight. She'd been closer to the Count's mind than anyone. Her husband had spent weeks trapped with the monster. Seward dealt with the cracked and broken mind every day, he might have some idea of what was happening.

Abraham dearly hoped so, because, as he puffed and leaned back in his chair, hooded eyes on the vampire, he realized that he himself had absolutely none. 


	43. Chapter 43

Ch 43

He puffed his pipe a bit, leaning back and watching the sleeping conundrum that was the vampire. Rising, he sent the butler back to sleep and the cook back to the kitchen, and returned to his chair to see the vampire as motionless as before.

Briefly motionless; the head flew back, eyes flying open but staring blindly, a choked gurgle in its throat as the vampire's entire body jerked. He stared at it in shock, but the vampire blinked rapidly, swallowed heavily, and shuddered. Eyes closed, it leaned down, hugging its legs close, whining softly.

Abraham remained silent, watching the odd display. The vampire had said it had nightmares, and he suspected he was seeing one. For now, it remained unaware of his presence, though the room was well-lit and he'd done nothing to conceal itself. It simply buried its face in its knees, still shaking slightly, and the whining tapered back off to silence. Unfolding, it lifted its head, leaning it back against the window, watching the rain streak the panes.

And then it startled again, head whipping around to stare at him. A few moments of panicked fear, and then sense returned to those eyes, and concern. The vampire ducked its head, well aware it had been caught, cringing as Abraham continued to silently observe it. Abraham continued to watch it, observing as it got increasingly twitchy and nervous. When it began whining, barely audible, he finally spoke to it.

"How did you get out of the room." It wasn't even a question, simply a flat, inflectionless demand, though the words made it clear the vampire damn well better answer.

Its answer was a whisper. "Someone opened the doors." The hands curled and uncurled, the vampire trembling slightly in its fear.

Well, this was certainly a relief, then. But it created additional questions, and he expected the answers to those, and immediately. "Who?"

Alucard's hands crept up to his hair, and his head wagged from side to side. "Don't know."

Of course not, the vampire had met very few of the household residents. But Abraham wanted specifics. "Describe what he looked like, Alucard." His piercing glare remained on the vampire and the words tumbled over each other in its eagerness to answer. The vampire would cooperate, usually with the clear intent of relieving Abraham's focus on him. It clearly unnerved the creature to have itself as the sole object of his attention, and Abraham didn't really give a damn right now, either.

"Three, young, two boys, a girl. Two were dark, one boy was blond. Not dressed in fancy clothes. Servants?" It hazarded a guess, almost inquisitive, only to immediately melt under Abraham's burning gaze.

Three kids. He even had a good guess as to which ones, too. One of the maids, the one that had "woken" when they checked her room, was new, young, and the housekeeper had already warned her for spending more time flirting with the young men than doing her work. The two young men she chased and who pursued her in turn were the cook's assistant and the head groom's son, who did random odd jobs about the house. The three of them had already been reprimanded more than once in the past, mostly due to pranks and stunts instigated by the maid. She'd dare the boys to do something foolish, from stealing the aprons in the kitchen to letting the hounds loose in the house, and then, as Nature took its course, the boys would do just that to impress her. And often add their own inventive embellishments, too.

So far, the pranks had been no more than amusing and nuisancy, but this latest one could have gotten all three of them killed.

"Did you have anything to do with them opening that door?" He wouldn't put it past the beast, but it's violent headshakes told him no. And it wasn't as if the brats had needed any urging.

"You knew you were to stay in the room, Alucard." The head dropped lower, with a faint sobbing sound. "If you can't be reliably contained in the room, we'll have to consider some other options. None of which you would enjoy in the slightest." It had begun a slight keening, eyes shut, rocking back and forth in its fear. Abraham would usually relent when the vampire reached this point, but after tonight's fright, he was not feeling at all charitable towards the beast.

"And what did you do when they opened the door? Clearly, you did not stay in your room." He glared at the beast, but Alucard was entirely unaware of this, eyes clenched shut and shaking and rocking in his fear and nervousness.

"I...put out their candle...and came here."

"Did they see you? Why did you come here?"

"No, no, not see me, not." It paused, mind clearly cracking and having to work hard to regain the coherence it had held previously. Fluency was far beyond it, but it could respond. And would, damn it. "I...bored...lonely. Moon." A white hand fluttered briefly at the window. "Wanted to see it, but rain. Didn't want back downstairs." A little gasping sob. "You'd...I...here before, in this room. Came back, sat back, same window." The hand disappeared back into the tangled black locks, and it began weeping brokenly.

Well, that explained a lot. Abraham sighed, the first strains of pity showing again. It had been bored, and no wonder, with nothing to do and nothing to see. His own visits rarely lasted an hour. He really couldn't blame it for taking the first opportunity it had to leave the room, and it had been surprisingly good. It had stayed out of sight and not gone anywhere but where he'd taken it before...and then waited there.

It didn't change the fact that it knew it should stay downstairs, or the worry and stress it had caused, but aside from leaving its room, it had behaved so innocuously Abraham almost wondered if it really was a vampire. It should have indulged in a bloodbath, not gone to watch the rain.

Would it go downstairs again with him?

One way to find out.

"Let's go."

x x x x x x

The trip downstairs was terribly anticlimactic. It followed right at his heels, almost stepping on them in its attempts to be obedient, nervous and flighty and jumpy. It went into the cell easily, then stood there, swaying, arms crossed and hands gripping the opposite shoulders, head hanging. "Alucard, you are not to leave this room without my express permission again. Understood?" Rapid head-bobbing indicated yes. "You will not be punished this time, but if it happens again, you will be. This won't happen again, will it?" The head shook so rapidly Abraham wondered idly why it didn't detach.

As he was leaving, he realized something else; the state of exhaustion the vampire was in. It had fallen asleep sitting in the window well before dawn, when it should have been wide awake. It hadn't been able to sleep in its coffin for days...and he'd seen a nightmare and its results with his own eyes. He turned, catching the vampire folding itself down behind the coffin, blanket gripped by those thin white hands.

"Alucard?" It froze, uncertain, scared of what he might do, then the face lifted slightly, the red eyes finding his own, pleading and frightened. "If you'll sleep, I'll place you in your coffin."

Fear changed to astonishment, and a heartbeat passed before the vampire whispered a quiet, "Thank you." It finished curling up on the lid, and before Abraham could even cross the room to it, it had fallen fast asleep.

He left it settled and sleeping in its coffin. The pillow was tucked under its head, the blanket draped across its body. He locked the doors behind him, deciding that he'd have to get locks with keys, not simply the stout deadbolts and latches he'd been using. The vampire might be kept in, but there was little to delay anyone else releasing him.

He'd originally set it up that way on purpose, in case he should end up trapped with the vampire and someone else needed to reach him, or if he needed to enter the room quickly. He hadn't even considered that anybody else would willingly open the door of the vampire's chamber.

Children. He'd have to explain to his friends why they'd been rousted out of bed to rush to his home. And he'd have to have words with the three miscreants; this time around, they might well be out of a job. Even so, it was better than having them as ghouls or vampires.

It was very late, or very early, and now that the stress was removed, he realized how exhausted he was, himself. In barely more than a week, his vampire had escaped, his leg had been shattered, he'd found his vampire, lost the means to control it, locked it away in the basement, and then spent a highly stressful night with it loose and missing. Exhausted didn't begin to cover it. He was getting too old for this crap! 


	44. Chapter 44

Ch 44

"In your office?" Seward seemed to have a difficult time grasping this, partly due to being rousted out of bed in the middle of the night and racing to Van Helsing's, partly due to his ongoing conviction that Alucard was dangerous.

Abraham, on the other hand, was nursing yet another cup of strong black coffee, sitting in his office and watching the sun rise on the yard outside. It was quite pretty; the rain had only recently ended and everything sparkled and glistened. However, he couldn't enjoy the view, he was caught explaining to the Harkers and Seward just what had gone on.

"Yes, in my office. Near as I can tell, he came directly here from his room." Abraham shifted, making himself more comfortable in his chair. "I'd expected him to have killed at least one of the maids and taken off for the hills." A small smile, a quirk of the lips at the irony of the situation. "It's almost a repeat of the priest situation. The damn vampire seems entirely content with his captivity, at least for now."

Mina's gaze settled on him. "You haven't done any research with him yet, have you?" At his shake of the head, she nodded her own. "He's sheltered from the sun, fed every day, guarded during the day by someone more effective than his Romani were, you coddle him with the coffin and trips outside...No wonder he's content." She turned back to the window herself, watching the occasional glistening drops trickle down the window. "If he weren't so mad, I'd be suspicious. As it is, I think he recognizes a good deal when he sees it. You'd better have him under firm control though before you start any work with him."

"My own thoughts, precisely." Abraham sipped his coffee, then continued. "I still want to know what concentrations and applications of silver work best, what blessings and sources of metal affect vampires the most severely. We know they are senstive to garlic, and I'd like to try an entire range of foods and substances on him to see what other weapons nature provides for us. Stakes of wood work, but which is better? Oak? Ash? Yew? Cedar?" He sighed a bit. "So much he can tell us, but if I had started to work with him, and he'd managed to get out...he'd have probably slaughtered the household in vengeance. I can only say I'm glad he still considers this a pleasant and 'acceptable' confinement."

Talk continued onwards about the vampire, with Arthur arriving a few hours later and needing his own reassurance.

Containing the vampire effectively was a source of concern to them all, though after two "escapes" Abraham was realizing that he might not need to worry so much about this, not yet. But if he intended to work with the monster as he'd planned, he'd better get new restraints on it, and soon.

And so it was with relief and pleasure that telegrams that afternoon announced the arrival, within the next few days, of another hunter, his assistant, and a pair of priests educated firmly in how to fight and contain such creatures. Others had expressed a willingness to assist but would be traveling greater distances. Still, Abraham had the first captive vampire and they were all anxious to see it themselves; he'd have the best help possible in his own home as he crafted new restraints.

x x x x x

The sun had set, and all but John had returned to their homes. Seward had spent the day reading up on notes about how the vampire had behaved, its recovery, and the damage it still exhibited. Before he left, he wanted to ask the vampire questions of his own, with an eye to helping his own two patients. Based on the vampire's recovery, he'd already reduced their stimulation, keeping the rooms simple, colors bland, and isolated and quiet. With the reduction in stimulus, one of the men had actually tracked the entry of one of his assistants carrying the tray of food, whereas before he'd been entirely catatonic. The second man still carried on a range of conversations with imaginary people and beasts, and John was debating what else could help the patient at this time. Having access to Alucard's personal account of his recovery could be useful.

They'd planned to wait until Alucard woke, exited his coffin, and calmed down from the panic it was certain to cause, feed him his two initial bottles, then begin questioning him.

That was the plan. It didn't go as expected.

x x x x x x x

Awake...a little hungry. Time...yes, long past sunset. Not tired now, no. Rested. Relaxed. Pleasant. Important. Something important. What?

Half-asleep still, the vampire rolled on his side for a moment, then sat up, arm resting on the side of the coffin, bleary red eyes blinking as he tried to remember what it was that was important right now. He'd been so tired so long, it was so pleasant to be-

COFFIN!

With a twist and startled yelp, he rolled over the edge of it, landing on the door, pushing away from it...then calming. Coffin, out of coffin now. Not trapped in coffin, not trapped at all. Why in coffin? Master, yes, Master had put him there. Wouldn't take him out, wouldn't enter room...but had placed him in coffin to sleep. Master, yes. Master...not angry, not, last night. Not happy, no. Not angry, no punishment. Still not angry?

Blinking himself awake the rest of the way, Alucard sat up, scooting slightly to lean his back on his coffin, looking up at the windows. Was there blood? Yes, five bottles. Master was certainly not angry, then.

"I'll leave you to eat for a bit, Alucard, then we'll have some questions for you to answer." Master! The slight smile formed and died as quickly as it appeared. We? Careful listening showed two heartbeats, and then the bearers of those two heartbeats left, the door closing at the top of the stairs. Who else had it been? Why? A bit nonplussed at this change in routine, Alucard sniffed the bottles carefully. No, they were fine, just blood. But he could smell several people that had been in his hallway. The children from last night... Master...Mina. Ah, Mina! That...man...she'd chosen. Oh...Arthur...Seward! Without realizing it, a white hand ghosted over the long-healed wound on his arm.

What had they been there for? Were they gone? Mina he didn't mind...he could even bear her husband's presence, insulting thought it was. The man had escaped his brides and stolen Mina, but he'd done so fairly and it was her choice, so Alucard couldn't bear him much of a grudge. But the other two...a shudder, then he pulled down the first bottle.

x x x x x x

John paced back and forth in the hallway, waiting, while Abraham relaxed with his pipe. "Settle down. He was late waking after a week of poor sleep, entirely understandable, and I warned you that might be the case. It's going to be a bit before he's wide awake and has eaten enough to focus on us. Pacing won't make it go any faster." His calm, steady voice settled John a bit, though the younger man was still clearly anxious.

"Abraham, are you certain he'll answer me? He hates me, he has to by now." They'd both agreed on this point, for after the incident where the vampire was driven off, its fright at their arrival at the priest's home, and the subsequent neglect due to no one telling Abraham just how weakened the beast was, it was likely to have a grudge against the man. Then again, it should have the greatest grudge against Abraham himself, and it obeyed him without question.

"We've gone over this. If he'll listen to and cooperate with me, after all he's been through, there should be no problem with you. If he refuses to answer you, I'll step in and see if I can't convince him to. Now, he should be done with at least one bottle by now, let's go down and find out, shall we?"

x x x x x x

Abraham shut the basement door, leaning on it with a heavy sigh. John stood beside him, looking rather sheepish.

No, having John there had not been a good idea, not at all. And he should have gone over the questions John would be asking, too. Starting off by asking the vampire how he felt now compared to how he felt when he was first released from his coffin was a bad idea...and Alucard hadn't realized it was John there until the man spoke. He really, really did not need to be reminded of his time trapped in the coffin, it was possibly the most ham-handed, ill-advised remark John could have made.

The vampire had dropped the bottle he'd been drinking from and crouched behind his coffin, SNARLING at John. Abraham hadn't heard the beast make that much of a sound of hate and threat, ever, and had been ready to shout at the vampire himself until he realized that it had covered itself with the blanket.

The damn thing was trying to both hide from and frighten away John, simultaneously.

It was incredibly bizarre and ridiculous...and very, very Alucard.

"Well, John, I supposed you'd better just leave me a list of your questions, and I'll ask him when he's settled back down." 


	45. Chapter 45

Ch 45

After an hour or so in the office, chatting idly about what John wished to learn from Alucard, Abraham judged the beast had likely settled down. Taking the remaining bottles, he moved back down to the basement...only to be greeted by a steady growl as soon as he started down the stairs.

"Alucard, stop that. Right now." The growling choked off, and he approached the window, holding the lantern up to view the monster. The room was dark, but he could make out the form of the vampire in its corner, knees drawn up, head on arms. The red eyes and ghost-white skin glowed out of the gloom, and Abraham sighed. "Alucard, he's upstairs. He won't be coming back down tonight." Red eyes watched suspiciously, but the vampire remained silent. "Here's the rest of your dinner." The vampire straightened in apparent shock, and Abraham frowned slightly. Had he thought that he wouldn't be fed?

Apparently so. Looking back on it, Abraham realized that the vampire had spent several days either underfed or unfed, and been reduced to motionless starvation on two occasions. Abraham had left and taken the blood with him, after all...yes, it was entirely possible that Alucard had thought that he wouldn't be fed tonight.

And he still hated John enough that he'd growl when the door opened, hungry though he was.

The vampire was rocking again. Frowning to himself, Abraham slid the bottles onto the window ledge. The beast would be useless tonight, there was little to no chance it would be communicative until well past midnight. It was skittish, frightened, and rocking in its nervousness, and with John upstairs...no. No, best to just feed it and let it be.

"Eat your dinner, Alucard. Put the bottles and the bigger pieces of the broken bottle on the window when you are finished. I'll come down tomorrow night and I won't bring John with me." Red eyes watched him cautiously but the vampire didn't move from his corner.

x x x x x x

Seward. Alucard shuddered a bit, even though Master was gone. The wound in his arm, healed though it was, flared back up in his memory; the fear, the pain, the confusion, and he held it tightly. John had done that. Another memory rose, of John chasing him away from his Priest. John had been in the carriage, when he'd needed blood, trying to heal Master...had kept him from reaching it. And when he was so weak, burned, hurt, and Abraham was too sick and drugged to know ...John knew. John hadn't told Abraham.

And then Master brought that man in the house. Master let John see him when he slept, helpless. Would Master protect him? Did Master trust John too much? And tonight...he hadn't even gotten to speak to Master, and John...John had...Coffin. Red eyes closed and the vampire shuddered and jerked. His meal broken and spread on the floor...Master and John gone with the rest of his dinner.

He'd thought he'd been denied his food, had crept out to lick up what blood he could around the shards of glass. Master had taken the food, had starved him before...he might not be fed. Scary, hungry...he'd eaten what he could, gritty and glass-filled though it was. When John had been with Master before...he'd starved.

Master knew, Master had fed him anyways, Master understood. But now he was alone, again. No Master to talk to. And when he slept...would John be back? Arthur, again?

Master trusted them. They'd attacked him, twice, even though Master was there. If anything happened to Abraham...

Worry kept the vampire pacing. His appetite flared, and he paused to drink, then continued.

If Master got hurt. If he fell again. If he slept...John was there.

He knew he shouldn't fear a simple human man, that he was being overreactive, but his emotions ignored the logic of his mind. And so he paced and fretted and fretted and paced...and his mind kept relaying the last times John had been with Abraham. Abraham, falling. Abraham, so very sick and injured. John was here. Was Abraham safe?

x x x x x x x x x

The hours ticked by. The vampire fretted, worried, wondered. John was there, Abraham could be injured or sick again. Illogical, but he knew that. And knew it didn't matter, he still stewed over Abraham. If Abraham were to fall sick, or fall...morning would be here. He would be asleep, and helpless. Whining, he paced.

Master said to stay.

Master might not be safe.

Stay. Safe?

Frustrated, he gripped his hair, thinking furiously. The stress was hampering his mind, it was so hard to force his thoughts into any sort of shape. He hissed at himself, frustrated.

Abraham would be angry...IF MASTER KNEW.

Yes, that was it. And with that relief, he was able to focus and melt. Those bars were almost too close together...but he could manage this. Melting into fog, moving carefully, he eased through. By the door, the restrictions were far too tight. At the end of the windows, farthest from the door, it was just...loose...enough. And the silver in the bars was just far enough apart, with no brick between them...yes.

Slow, it was slow, like pouring a bucket of sand through a slender little straw, but he managed. It burned, too, if he got too close to the silver. The door's wards pushed on him, as though he was climbing uphill or wading through mud.

But he could do this. And after prolonged effort, he stood solid in the hallway. Tired again, and slightly hungry, but so worth it.

And now to check on Master. The dark form glided smoothly up the stairs, pausing at the top to sniff and look about, then crept towards Abraham's rooms.

The sun would be up soon. Very soon. And it would be much harder to get back into his room during the day. But he wanted, NEEDED, to see Abraham safe and healthy and asleep, and know that Seward's presence had not endangered Master. 


	46. Chapter 46

Ch 46

Safe, safe, Master was safe. The heartbeat thumped steadily, and the air held only the faintest lingering sour scents of his former illness. Alucard couldn't bring himself to go into the bedroom, though he wasn't certain why, he just knew it was as impossible as sleeping in his coffin. But from the hallway outside, he could hear, and smell, and know that Master was perfectly safe. A few more minutes, and he located John. Also asleep, and unfortunately perfectly healthy, but nowhere near Master.

He felt a fool...but relieved. And it was nearly dawn, he'd have to hurry to get back to his room. Sifting into the window after the sun rose was not impossible, but it was much, much harder than doing so before the sun's rays reduced his abilities and fogged his mind with sleepiness. He rushed through the hallways and to the stairs, stumbling a bit already from a woozy mix of fatigue, relief, and the stressful need for haste. The basement door clicked shut behind him, louder than he'd intended, but he reached his windows in time. The wards were meant to keep him in, not out, and within a few moments his solid form had evaporated and shifted in.

The silver still stung a bit, but it was easier to avoid when he wasn't also pushing against wards. He stood by the coffin, swaying a bit. Tired, he was so tired. The fear that John had evoked, the concern for Abraham, the fight against the wards, the return...he was tired, and hungry. His coffin looked so comfortable and he was struck by a longing to stretch out in its welcoming confines. Hard on the heels of that thought was the fear that he would be stretched out and confined, and his breath hissed in as he unconciously cringed away.

No, never again. Perhaps not never, he was quite old enough to know that things changed, and he was already far more stable, more himself, than he had been even a week ago.

But not now.

And so he made his bed on the lid beside his coffin, pressed against its side. A pillow, a blanket, the bag of earth that had been in the coffin...those were his bed for now. He only wished Abraham would place him back inside while he slept, allow him the dreamless sleep he longed for. But he would make do with what he had. Sleep claimed him.

x x x x x x x

"He was out of his room?" The cook's eyes were firm as she nodded.

"Certain as I am standing here. I was in the kitchen and heard someone on the stairs, poked my head out, and there he was, opening the basement door. "

Oh, DAMN that beast! The cook's report of a man in the house had initially made him think of a thief, but when she said he went down to the basement...double damn. He'd described his prisoner, and she'd added a few details of her own...and there was no doubt it was Alucard.

He'd found a way to slip his bonds. And while he pretended obedience, he'd ignored the order to stay in his room.

Abraham only hoped no one had been bitten.

x x x x x x x

The first of his visitors had arrived that afternoon, not long after Abraham had ascertained that either no one had been bitten, or the vampire had been skillful about concealing his predations. Fredrick was a thin, ascetic man, a religious scholar who'd found references to creatures and beings outside the normal scope of knowledge. A tireless investigator, he'd learned of countless weaknesses of countless beings, ways to contain them, trigger them, seal them and soothe them. Not all the creatures were evil or predatory, but he'd learned to work with them all and encountered a handful in person over the years. He'd even destroyed a vampire and its ghouls once, setting fire to the building it laired in.

Once he'd settled the man into his room, Abraham took him downstairs for an up-close encounter with a vampire. 


	47. Chapter 47

Ch 47

"He's beautiful." Whispered, but the shock was still clear in Fredrick's voice. The two men stood beside the sleeping vampire, and had pulled the blanket away from its face. Abraham had to admit the vampire was beautiful, though he'd never really considered it. He'd been far too focused on cleaning it, controlling it, feeding it, and questioning it to take time to appreciate the simply beauty of the beast.

Fredrick had no such history with the monster, and it lay curled on the lid in pure alabaster beauty. Abraham could see the faint lines under the eyes, the lack of luster in the hair, but that was only because he knew what the vampire SHOULD look like. It had used up some of its dinner out wandering about the night before, and this showed in its appearance.

It didn't make him less lovely, though. The face was angelic, high cheekbones and sculpted lips, not a single flaw. The hair was thick, dark, wavy, the body finely built without an extra ounce of flab or fat. The skin was smooth, with an inhuman, alabaster glow to it, pearlescent, like the shell of a deep-sea oyster. He looked, in short, like the masterpiece of a sculptor. Not so much like a sleeping human at all, but something else, an animate piece of art.

And it was all a ruse, Abraham knew, to mislead and seduce his prey. Vampires looked beautiful for a reason; it got them more meals with less effort. Even in sleep, the damned thing would retain that unearthly beauty. All vampires looked attractive, they were all beautiful, but Abraham had to admit that his own vampire verged on exquisite.

As they stood pondering the sleeping form, the vampire was slipping into a nightmare. Surprised, Abraham watched it jerk slightly, brow furrowing, lips drawing back from the deadly fangs. Instead of a snarl, a muffled cry came out, a whimper, rising in pitch until those beautiful, deep red eyes flew open. Alucard's head jerked back, colliding against his coffin with a solid crack, and he stared ahead blindly, jaw moving spastically, gasping softly with a harsh little rasp in his fear.

Fredrick jerked back, gun snapping up to aim at the vampire, but Alucard simply stared forward for a few more seconds, then closed his eyes with a faint groan. As Abraham watched, he fell back asleep, still oblivious to their presence.

x x x x x x

"He has nightmares when out of his coffin." Abraham's succint explanation was met with consternation from Fredrick, and he went on to explain, "Most days, I move him into the coffin so that he can sleep more solidly. The damage that I described in our communications continues to affect the beast." The look he shot at the vampire was best described as annoyance. "Normally, I'd move him to the coffin during the day, but as you've seen, he's sometimes awake. And I've felt that to be too risky since he was out of control. I won't ask a servant to come down here and without another person present who is familiar with and able to defend himself from a vampire, I won't enter myself."

Somber eyes turned to Fredrick. "I had thought he was contained to this room, but he has left it both last night and the previous night. The first escape was from someone opening the door and releasing him." A long pause. "I'm not sure how he escaped last night, but he was seen returning." A slight frown. "I'm planning to keep him out of his coffin and keep him tired, hungry, and weak. I'm hoping that will prevent another escape while we figure out how he got out, and block it. Now...how good are you at wards?"

x x x x x x

Tired, hungry, hungry, tired. Red eyes cracked open and the vampire grumbled a bit, mind coming awake. Why so tired...yes...he'd left to check on Master. Master was safe, had been safe when he slept. So tired. Master's scent was in the room, he'd been here during the day, recently too. And someone else?

Ignoring the niggling fear of having someone else accessing his helpless form, the vampire blinked awake, looking about. Abraham had been here, would have kept him safe. Where was Master? Sitting up, he looked towards the windows, listening. No heartbeat. No food.

Not overly concerned yet, he stretched back out on his lid and looked at the ceiling. There was a particular section of the ceiling where the wards formed a "knot." Invisible, but one he could feel with his senses. Quite possibly a quick blow could shatter that and unravel the rest; it was the weakest, most vulnerable point on what was actually a very good piece of work. A few other areas had faded or weak strands, not well-anchored, and bit of tugging would work them loose. Not enough to allow him to exit, but removing those would cause other strands to slowly weaken. It would take time, but yes, he could exit. The first way was faster but Abraham would know immediately that the spell was down.

Relaxing further, he closed his eyes, concentrating, and began to tug gently on one of those dim strands.

This helped keep his mind focused, but where was Master? 


	48. Chapter 48

ch 48

(yes, it's short, but I wanted to get SOMETHING up :) )

It wasn't much longer before the relieved vampire heard the creak of the stairway door and the heavy thump of two sets of boots coming down the stairs. He drew back a bit, hissing slightly. He'd been making substantial headway in unraveling the warding on the ceiling, nothing obvious, but it would begin to weaken, and then those little changes and tweaks would snowball...and he'd be free to leave if he chose. Being interupted in the midst of one of the fine, niggling little adjustments was enough to throw him out of sorts, but the second set of footsteps pulled the lips back from his teeth.

Either that damnable John Seward, or whoever had been poking about his body while he slept. Abraham he accorded that right, won fairly when the man bested him, claimed solidly when the man had broken him. He was Abraham's to do with as the man pleased, but not for some other human to gawk at.

Hunger, too, played its part. He'd been starved and crazed only a few days ago, and the fear he was trying to ignore had risen to whisper at him as the night began and his supper remained missing. He'd done his best to ignore it, but it had made him irritable.

And thus, he was not in the most pleasant of moods when his Master finally deigned to make an appearance. 


	49. Chapter 49

Ch 49

(slightly longer, but my happy butt needs to get on the road shortly and this is all I could do today :) )

"Well, what do you think?" Frederick had been silent for some time, looking over the pictures and diagrams, text and notes on the restraining wards that had been placed around the vampire's prison. With a sigh, the other hunter pushed himself back from the table, looking up at Abraham with a serious expression.

"He's already gotten out twice, and frankly, those wards should have held him even with the door open. They're keyed to your presence, after all; without you there, he should have had difficulty exiting even with the door opened by those brats."

Abraham nodded, leaning back in his own chair, his steady blue eyes focused on the other man. "That's what I had expected. However, he's been through that door nightly for weeks; is there a chance this could have weakened their effect, or made him resistant to the wards?"

A headshake, as Frederick pursed his lips and looked down at the display, brow furrowed. "No. Not the wards you used. Abraham, either someone made an error in the actual application somewhere, or that vampire is very, very strong. And I still don't know how he would have gotten out the second time. This...is a very good set of wards." The man looked back up at Abraham, reluctant to say what he needed but far too aware that it was necessary.

"I've got to go in that room, tonight, and look at the wards. I could do this tomorrow, but if he's escaped twice I'm worried about the continued integrity of the work. I'd rather look at it now, while I'm well-rested. Frankly, Abraham, " and the corner of his mouth quirked up wryly, "I won't be sleeping well knowing that you have a caged maneating tiger down there that picks the cage lock whenever he damn well feels like it! And if I leave to stay in London and return tomorrow, I'll spend the night awake and wondering if he's eaten YOU."

Abraham sighed, then rose. "This means me taking him out of the room, doesn't it?" He rose to pace a bit. "I'd planned to keep him hungry, weakened, make it harder for him to leave...but that might simply spur him to escape again and this time do some hunting." A few more steps to the window, turn, and pace back across the room. "He's been obedient...when I was there. I think...yes. We'll try this." Blue eyes once again met the tense eyes of his guest. "I'll return him to our old routine. Bring him here, feed him, let him moon-watch. Keep yourself armed, I'll stay armed. And while he's here, you should have a few hours of opportunity to check out those wards."

Frederick gathered his paraphernalia to inspect the wards, Abraham went to the kitchen and collected the bottles of blood, and both men went cautiously down the stairs to the black basement and its hungry, unpredictable monster. 


	50. Chapter 50

Ch 50

Abraham paused outside the cell, and spoke a single word. Fredrick stood back, watching nervously, passing his satchel of supplies from hand to hand. Abraham showed no fear, no concern whatsoever. Instead, he merely spoke that one word.

"Alucard."

There was no sound, no warning, but two glowing red eyes appeared at the window. A voice, polite but with an undertone of irritation, anger, and possible menace, responded. There was no question in that voice, simply a calm statement.

"Master."

"Alucard, I'd planned to leave you here and keep you hungry, reducing your ability to go wander about the household. However, considering that when you did leave your room, you went directly to my office and obeyed my directions afterwards, and in light of the fright you received last night...I've chosen a different course of action." The red eyes, which had widened in worry at the beginning of that short speech, narrowed back down into a curious, though wary, gaze. The vampire remained silent, watching.

"We'll be resuming our previous routine, vampire. Follow me to the office." Abraham lifted the basket of bottles slightly, causing them to shift and "tink" faintly against each other. Alucard's interest immediately shifted and his nose lifted as he sniffed, searching for the blood that remained just out of sight. "You'll be eating there and answering questions."

x x x x

The red eyes blinked and the vampire tilted his head a bit, considering his Master's statement and behavior. He'd worried that Abraham had found him out, realized he'd taken an unsupervised trip last night...and now he was taken to the office to be fed? He had a few questions of his own, first...though he'd be happy to cooperate with Abraham. A chance out of that damned room and a dinner...yes, he'd certainly cooperate. But first...

"Where is John? Is he still here?" Alucard couldn't keep the faint tone of stress out of his voice, no matter how he tried to conceal it. To his relief, Abraham shook his head.

"No, he's headed back to his home today. In the interests of safety, however, there is another person here who is familiar with vampires. He'll be serving as backup in case your behavior is less than exemplary." The man's tone was firm, unyielding, but Alucard felt himself relaxing a bit. John was gone, well away from Master and himself. This new man...it could be dangerous, or it could be...interesting. Was this who had been in the room today? A deeper sniff, and a listen...

Yes, the smell was the same, and the heartbeat, racing, meant the man knew exactly what was in the room beside Abraham. Master's explanation of the man's presence answered his own, unasked question. Musing on the possible repercussions of the stranger's presence, the vampire drifted over to wait by the door. Abraham's footsteps sounded as he moved to the door, and Alucard listened with interest as the bolts and locks opened. Out, out, he would be out of here...and not spending his free time worried about being caught roaming about or how Master would respond if that happened.

x x x x x

Fredrick watched, heart in his throat but face impassive, as the door opened farther and Abraham returned to the hallway. A pause, just long enough for him to begin to dread what he would see...and the vampire stepped through. Asleep, it hadn't been menacing, merely beautiful.

Now, it was no less beautiful...but every atom of its existence screamed danger and menace. Those red eyes, no longer closed in slumber, met his, and the vampire grinned at him. A sharp, pointed, incredibly predator grin that bore only the most superficial resemblance to a human greeting.

"So pleasant to meet you again, now that I am awake."

The creature had known he was there...had it been awake the entire time? That sharp grin didn't fade at all, and the eyes flared up brighter in apparent amusement, the head tilting slightly as the creature watched him, eyes dancing red with delight at the building fear in the man. Fredrick tried to respond, but some very primal instinct in his body kept him frozen and silent in the face of what that instinct knew very well was a predator...a very deadly predator...that had noticed its prey.

Fredrick wasn't at all sure how things would have ended. But Abraham's prosaic, somewhat annoyed voice broke through the spell of fear (and was it a spell? Was the monster actually influencing him, him mind, somehow?) with a grunted command.

"Stop that. And close the doors."

The vampire pulled back, smile fading as it turned back towards Abraham, then stepped back through towards the cell. A click and the interior door closed, then the vampire backed through the hall door and pulled it closed, pushing it shut the last few inches until it met the frame with a dull thud. Unable to play with him, it was now ignoring him. Fredrick found he didn't mind this at all.

X X X X x x

Alucard followed his Master obediently up the stairs. To his surprise and disappointment, he didn't hear the footsteps of the other man following him...but then the bottles clinked again in their basket, and, mouth watering, he forgot about the stranger as he focused on his dinner.

He'd been far, far too hungry far, far too often to react in any other way.

x x x x x

Abraham smirked slightly as the vampire rushed up the last of the stairs to crowd at his heels the remainder of the trip to the office. He'd worried that Alucard would raise a fuss at his coffin being left alone with the visitor, but the blood and the vampire's empty stomach entirely distracted the beast. Those bottles hadn't rattled on accident, after all. And it had worked. A glance back revealed those red eyes entirely focused on the wire basket and the four bottles in it. A fifth bottle waited in the office. While four bottles had been plenty for the vampire before, that was when he'd been sleeping in his coffin and hadn't spent the earlier portion of the week starved into a husk.

He had the list of questions that John had left with him after the abortive start of questioning the previous night. And should he need more time to delay the beast until Fredrick returned to the office to signal the end of his investigations, well, he'd ask the vampire just how he got out of that sealed room.

And just how would the vampire react to THAT bit of information, that Abraham had known what it had been up to?

He stepped into the office, and the vampire darted past him to sit at the side of the chair, eyes focused on the bottles still and obviously doing everything it could to speed up the process of getting fed.

Abraham seated himself, with a faint smile at the so-polite and so-obvious manipulations of the vampire, and handed Alucard two bottles.

"Eat those, then I have some questions for you." Slim hands darted out to the bottles and several quiet minutes rolled by as the vampire emptied them of their contents.

Abraham fought a smile off his face. The silly beast was just as dependent and obedient as ever. And he'd forgotten entirely to wonder where the other man was, too. 


	51. Chapter 51

Ch 51

(I'd gotten several reviews and thus was feeling guilty about not getting another chapter up. I think I overcompensated, they're usually about 1200 words and this is about 3200! I also found out that some of the readers aren't aware that there are some other Hellsing stories of mine out there. If you're enjoying this, please check my profile and see what else I have, you'll likely enjoy the others too. Read them in numerical order for the least confusion. Thanks!)

Alucard had worried about what Master would ask him. He'd remembered with a shudder what John had said the night before, and hoped that Master would not ask him something similar. Not again. But he was hungry and the shudder vanished quickly as the blood distracted him, and before long the second bottle was finished off.

He waited, wondering when Abraham would begin his questions, but couldn't stop staring towards the windows. The moon was out, and bright, gleaming off the tree branches visible from his position on the floor, and calling to him. He had not seen the Moon since the night Master was hurt, and he craved it. With all that changed over the many centuries, the Moon had stayed the same. With the current uncertainty and fear he experienced, he needed that reassurance, that something out there was also unchanging, that not all was in flux and change about him. He had always been drawn to the Moon since his change, drawn by his new nature, but now...it had progressed from a simple joy and appreciation to a need.

x x x x x x

He'd intended to start questioning the beast. He truly had. But even while drinking, the hungry vampire's eyes had constantly strayed to the window. Now that the two empty bottles sat beside it, the vampire's focus kept moving from its Master to the Moon. And Abraham needed to keep it distracted as long as possible, after all...why not let it have a long moon-watching session before beginning the questions? It would give Fredrick time to explore just how the beast had managed its escapes, possibly even restore the warding.

"Go ahead and look." His calm encouragement startled the beast, still flighty and tense, but the proferred bottle was happily taken and the vampire moved silently and rapidly to the window. As Abraham watched, the beast folded itself onto the wooden windowseat, glowing red eyes moving immediately to the brilliant moon, bottle forgotten beside him.

Rising, Abraham retrieved a cushion from the chair, the same cushion the vampire had seated itself on only two nights previously. It was dry now, but still smelt faintly musty from its soaking. Moving towards the window, he stood by the motionless vampire a moment, waiting to be acknowledged. Alucard ignored him, well, not so much ignored, as was oblivious to, startling violently when the proferred pillow was gently bumped against his arm.

x x x x x

WHAT? Alucard was shocked out of his silent reverie by the unexpected touch on his arm, startled and briefly panic-stricken. He was out of the window and a few steps away before his brain awoke, telling him that the soft touch on his skin was not a hand, but the pillow that the startled Abraham still held extended towards him. Shaking, he forced his lips back over his teeth, trying not to threaten Abraham, now fearful that in his panic he'd angered his Master. The snarled threat vibrating his throat was choked down, silenced, and he simply crouched to stare at Abraham with wide, frightened red eyes.

x x x x x

Damnation. His heart had jumped into his throat when the vampire had bared those teeth, moving so fast that it nearly flickered, but it had been off-balance and ungainly and lurched...and had paused mid-lurch as its damaged mind realized that it had been the pillow that touched him. Abraham had no idea what the vampire thought had occurred; was it truly that terrified of a simple touch?

His mind pulled up the image of the shaking, broken, tear-streaked and silent vampire he'd bathed...and he realized that, yes, Alucard might be that terrified indeed.

And the vampire hadn't bitten him, had stopped the threat display as soon as it realized what had happened, and was still clearly frightened. An internal part of him scowled at the broken and weak mess the vampire had become, another part of him cheered that it was still so under control despite the missing restraints, and a smaller part of him felt a touch of guilt and the need to soothe.

That was the part he allowed to show on his face, gently coaxing the vampire back to the window and the cushion. Even then, the vampire watched him, eyes fixed on his every move, nervous, no longer interested in the previously-enchanting moon. The internal sigh firmly squelched, Abraham moved slowly, stooping to retrieve and hold out the bottle of blood to the vampire.

"Shh...shh...I brought you the pillow so that you wouldn't be on the hard wood. That's all. It's alright. Relax, enjoy, drink your meal." The vampire calmed, rising from its crouch to return to the window, though it shifted nervously as Abraham reached past it to set the cushion on the wood. Alucard sat gingerly at first, watching Abraham carefully, but eventually settling more solidly onto the seat, no longer looking ready to launch himself off it. He blinked, eyes moving away from Abraham as if to notice for the first time the bottle in his hand. When he looked back up, taking it cautiously and opening it. When he looked up, Abraham was moving away, returning to his seat at the desk.

Puzzled, relieved, emotions settling again, the vampire leaned against the window. Within a few moments, the bright white gleam had pulled his gaze and thoughts away from Abraham and the catastrophe he'd expected and feared, and back to its calm permanence.

x x x x x

Abraham watched until he was certain the vampire was once again lost in the moonlight. He'd finished his third bottle, resting it at his feet, then become entirely immersed in the slow and majestic procession of the moon across the sky. He again resembled a marble statue, and Abraham doubted that much would jar him from his repose or pull his attention away.

Unless he made the mistake of touching the beast again.

He frowned to himself. So much of what he'd intended would involve physically manipulating the vampire, but that...might not be possible. The vampire was so terribly, terribly unstable, so absolutely horrified of what might happen.

When separated by a wall, well-fed and feeling safe, the vampire could be very nearly its former self. His speech became animated, fluent...he seemed almost whole. Removed from his room, with nothing between them, the vampire invariably became nervous. It didn't like being visible, didn't like being accessible. And with the nervousness, its ability to speak and think coherently was dramatically reduced.

And God forbid it be frightened, it fell apart. And simply focusing his attention on it for too long, asking too many questions, being too interested...that could shatter it. Even at the best of times, it took so little, only a light touch on the arm, and Alucard would revert from intelligent and capable to mere reactive beast.

When he'd unintentionally frightened the beast, he'd been certain he was going to be injured, perhaps bitten, even killed. Those teeth, that snarl...and instead, it had simply fled. Not far, for it realized immediately what had occurred. But...it was not acting as a vampire should act, not at all, nothing that Abraham's experience and that of the other hunters and those that studied the beasts had believed.

Was this because of the damage it had accrued? Some lingering effect of the bindings he'd placed on it? Was the vampire simply different from the others they'd hunted? He knew it was very old and likely the strongest vampire he'd encountered, able to take other shapes with an ease no other vampire had ever exhibited.

And he had to admit Mina was likely correct, that the vampire knew a good deal when it saw it, and realized that it would be nearly helpless on its own.

Even so...it had avoided hurting him, avoided hurting the priest. Not only had it not hurt either of them...it had gone to extreme lengths to fully heal his own injury. And it desired his company, unmistakably pleased when he arrived each night, and becoming withdrawn and quiet when he prepared to leave the vampire. It might simply be that he relieved its boredom...but the pieces were not adding up to the predatory monster he'd expected.

Was it simply too broken now to truly be a vampire?

And last night's little excursion only added to the puzzle. Eyeing the fourth bottle on his desk, he pondered the possible ramifications of what he wanted to do. The vampire would still be hungry, it seemed so relaxed and calm now that the brief fright had worn off...and it never hurt to make the vampire think he knew more than he did, either. Keeping it in a sort of awed fear would not be a bad thing at all. All he knew was that the vampire had somehow gotten out of his room, and returned to it at dawn. With a sardonic quirk of his lips, he realized that Alucard had no means of knowing that was all that he knew...

Damn it, he'd go ahead and do this. A little omniscience on his part could only help him keep the beast controlled a bit longer, and he just hoped that Fredrick had unraveled what the vampire had done and how. If not, perhaps he could get the answers himself.

x x x x x x x

"Alucard." The voice pushed through the restful silence of his mind, stirring him awake, pulling him back to the present. It was a few slow breaths from the human while his mind woke, returning to functionality, and then the vampire found himself blinking at his Master, wondering what was occuring. The man was still seated, they weren't going downstairs yet or outside. And he didn't seem angry, only calm. He had the journal out again...

Ah, yes. Questions. Master had questions for him. And it was always interesting to see and know what could interest a human. Unnerving, to have that piercing gaze fixated on him, frightening even when it continued on and on and on...but initially, it was always interesting. Master surprised him often with what he knew and didn't know, what he found curious and informative, and what he never mentioned at all.

Questions. Alucard understood this. Questions, until the stress of being the focus of Abraham's intense personality became too much. Then either a return to the quiet and safe darkness of his room, or a foray outside. Not outside now, no, no matter how much he wanted to be out. But the questioning always ended, and it was only questions.

Aware that he'd be frightened and stressed, but equally aware that this, too, would be temporary, Alucard tensed a bit, waiting expectantly for Abraham to ask the first, mysterious, unknown question.

x x x x x x

"Describe your activities and reasoning last night, from the time you chose to leave the room you had been commanded to stay in, until you returned to it at dawn."

The vampire's eyes flew wide and his head flew back, panic chasing away reason. As Alucard sat frozen in the window, fear and panic and consternation and shock chasing each other across his features, Abraham turned back to his journal and raised his pen. He was careful to show no anger, no threat...Alucard was thoroughly rattled by the realization that his little outing had been observed. And probably equally rattled by the fact that Abraham was unrattled, unexpectedly calm about it, simply waiting for the vampire to provide facts.

And, haltingly, the vampire began to give those facts. Abraham kept his questions brief and concise and calm. At all steps, he made certain to convey that he was simply clarifying what he already knew, and it was a struggle to keep his face calm and expressionless. Having found that the vampire remained calmer longer when he was not actually watching the beast, he kept his eyes on the journal where he wrote his notes, only rarely glancing up at the vampire.

Alucard had curled up tightly, hands knotted in hair, but as the gentle questioning continued, one of those hands relaxed. To Abraham's amusement - and he let the corner of his mouth lift in a slight smile - that hand reached out to grasp the edge of the curtain. The vampire pulled it forward, lifting it to wrap the bottom corner about his head and shoulders. The rear, the legs, the feet, were all clearly and entirely visible. But the vampire seemed reassured, felt safer, simply hiding his face. Dear Lord, it was like watching a child that was convinced that if he couldn't see you, you could not see him!

This went into the notes as well, and the questions continued.

x x x x x x

Done. Over an hour of careful questioning, sprinkled liberally with gentle reassurances. The vampire had kept his face hidden, Abraham had deliberately kept his own face turned away, and he'd thought to add short breaks into the questioning as well. He'd told the vampire that he was going to organize the information he'd been given, and that it would be able to rest for a bit. And he'd done so, using those short breaks himself to overcome some of his consternation at his discoveries, to fill in the short notes he'd taken while the monster spoke with more information and observations.

And thus, he'd gotten the complete story from the beast. And it was surprising, but he'd come to expect that.

Alucard didn't trust John at all, and worried for his safety. That...Abraham had not known, that the vampire would be so protective of him. John's presence had apparently thrown the beast into a panic, fearful for Abraham's safety. He'd worried not only for what would happen to him without Abraham there, but also for Abraham himself, though Alucard seemed oblivious to that fact. So very odd. But that emotional attachment and stunted form of caring was there. Oblique questioning as to motives and emotions only confirmed it, though the broken beast still seemed to think he only cared for Abraham's wellbeing so that Abraham could continue to care for him.

The vampire had a mist form...and he'd been able to access it while in that heavily warded, blessed, silver-threaded room. THAT should not have been possible, but Alucard admitted it had been more difficult that normal. The wards didn't extend fully across the windows, or rather, they did extend fully but were weaker far away. Alucard had mentioned being burned, they were definitely there, but he'd been strong enough to push through them. Strong enough and desperate enough.

There had been just enough time for him to check on Abraham and a quick check on John (and Abraham counted it a mercy that the beast had only checked, it could very well have simply eaten the man!), then it had returned. Hurrying, which was why it had not noticed the cook at all. Abraham had asked it whom it had seen or otherwise observed, and the exact order. The beast had seen no one, but had heard and smelt both himself and John, had heard the heartbeats and presence of two other inhabitants on its short journey but could provide no more information, having been utterly uninterested in them...and then gone back downstairs.

It had no idea it had been seen.

And it had turned to a mist, then re-entered its room to sleep. Abraham had asked about the effort to get through the wards and windows, asked if it could travel through the floors, doors, ceiling, or walls, and it had stated that it could only exit through the one window, and only at the end. Even if badly frightened or desperate? Perhaps the end of the other window. But even then, the vampire seemed doubtful.

Abraham was almost cheerful at the end of this long recitation and question-and-answer session. Alucard had described just how the wards affected him, how they "felt" and had confirmed that the warding and silver and such definitely reduced his powers. The vampire's opinion was that it was the spells more than anything that caused the weakening, though the silver and the blessed bricks were painful to touch. Abraham had observed other vampires drawing back from the mere presence of a blessed object, but Alucard left the impression that it was only direct touch that affected him.

And except for that one weakened window...those wards would still hold him. Excellent news, indeed. He nearly rose to give the vampire his "reward" of a fourth bottle, but caught himself in time. The vampire was certainly still hungry, bypassing those wards and blessings had drained him badly, but he was tense and rocking. Simply standing would have startled him. And so Abraham stopped himself, calming the beast first.

"Alucard, you have done very well. You will not be taken outside, but I will not be returning you to your cell immediately. I am giving you another bottle of blood. You may drink it and remain in the window. You may go anywhere in this room." Red eyes calmed, though the vampire remained curled up, barely peeking over the edge of the curtain.

Abraham felt a pang of compassion for the frightened beast. Hiding behind the corner of a curtain, indeed...and finding the barrier reassuring. Alucard was truly broken. "I'll bring you your bottle, then I'll sit back down and work. There will be no more questions tonight. When I am done, we'll return you to the basement and I'll give you a fifth bottle."

Now that the vampire was warned and knew what to expect, Abraham rose. The drawer was open and the bottle removed while wide and cautious eyes watched him closely. Moving to the window and the still-tense vampire, Abraham extended the bottle and waited. Seconds drifted by, then the thin white hand released the curtain to accept the bottle.

Nodding at the vampire to indicate that he was pleased, Abraham stood upright again and moved to his desk. He wanted to leave a full record of his observations and ideas tonight, though with his mind so full of all he'd learned this could take a bit. He'd like to make a note of the vampire's hiding of only its face, something it had always done by turning away, hiding its face in its arms, or otherwise concealing his face from Abraham's view, but that Abraham had never truly realized was occurring. He didn't get the impression that the vampire was doing that to conceal its own expressions.

It was merely frightened. Constantly, unendingly nervous, if not frightened then expecting to be so momentarily.

Guilt, again. In attempting to restrain the beast, he'd broken its mind, absolutely shattered its spirit. The confidence, the pure and utter confidence it had formerly possessed in its mind and abilities, that was gone. And he had some guilt for that, that it was always so frightened, so worried.

And yet...had he not done so...the Count as he had been would have gone right through those wards and murdered the entire household the moment those bonds had been broken, the shackles removed.

He couldn't regret this too much. But...he did regret it some. It was not fulfilling to have the proud creature broken and groveling in fear at his feet.

It was merely sad.  
> <p>


	52. Chapter 52

Ch 52

Master was busy. Not noticing, not paying attention. And pleased, Master said he'd done well, had given him more blood, let him stay in the office instead of being returning to the cell. Master knew he'd left the room, but was not angry, not at all. Master was quiet, busy, happy with his vampire. Safe, praised...and the Moon was still out. Relaxing, the vampire leaned against the window again, watching the Moon, finishing the fourth bottle he'd had that evening.

So nice to be out of the cell. It...itched...to be there. Not exactly uncomfortable, no, but with all the wards, the silver, the blessings...it was not comfortable, either. Restrictive. He felt...lessened. Muted, when he was in it.

He was a little tired, but not much. Only two days previously, he'd slept safe in his coffin the entire day, and been well-rested. A little hungry still, but not much. Not worried now, no...Master was busy, would be busy for some time to come. And it was comfortable here in front of the window. Cool air slid off it, chilling the floor and the vampire underneath, comforting and cold, and the pillow was soft. Muscles relaxed from the tense state they'd been in, and the vampire stretched a bit.

A careful sideways glance at Master showed that Abraham was ignoring him, and Alucard grew a bit more brave. He'd been granted permission to move about the office, though he was content by the window. But the Moon was sliding behind the trees, moving out of sight for the remainder of the night, and he'd been confined to the basement room for too long. He was stiff, from the tension, from the confinement. He could stretch out on the coffin lid, but it was limited, and his body was announcing that it needed a long, relaxing stretch.

And the vampire was relaxed enough to do so, a pleasant change. Safe, rested, fed...he moved down onto the soft carpet, stretching his length along it, cheek burrowed into the soft plush. Toes first, stretching out, then back, arms reaching above his head, neck shifting...and bones all along his lanky length shifted and clicked. This much he could have done downstairs, but only this much. He could not reach out to his sides, off the lid, not without encountering wards and resistance and discomfort. And so now he extended his arms to the side, reaching out an absurd distance, fingers splaying, feeling shoulders shift and creak faintly, stretching and shifting into a more comfortable position.

Ahhh. So nice. Alucard rolled onto his side, continuing to twist and stretch, feeling his body pull and stretch and relax in ways it had not done since...oh...so long. Before he was captured, for certain. Months. The floor was a cool, soft blanket under him, cushioning his cheek, the faintest draft from the window cooled him delightfully. Across from him, Master worked busily, writing down so much in that notebook he seemed so fond of. Near Master, the fireplace burned, flames flickering, the occasional spark drifting up the chimney. Close enough to watch, too far away to heat him, perfect. The air was thick with the scent of Abraham and wood smoke, pleasant and reassurring and familiar.

Fed, safe, so very comfortable, free of all magical restrictions and uncomfortable bindings...he relaxed utterly. Eyes drooped, mind drifting, but not sleeping. Simply...content.

x x x x x x

Abraham looked up at the odd sound. What was that? No one in the hall, no one rolling any sort of cart to create that odd rumbling. It seemed to be coming from the window? Resting his pen on the desk, he turned, looking at the window for whatever the source of this odd sound could be. Had a carriage or cart pulled up outside, wheels creating this noise on the flagstones?

He nearly rose to go look out the window, then realized something that shocked him into stillness.

It wasn't coming from the window, but from the floor under his window, where his vampire lounged with a sort of boneless grace, an almost angelic expression of utter contentment gracing his face. From the casual sprawl and blissful countenance, Abraham realized he was seeing a vampire in a state of contentment and relaxation that he'd never, ever dreamt they could achieve.

And the sound?

His vampire was...purring.  
> <p>


	53. Chapter 53

Ch 53

Eyes watering from fatigue, Fredrick prepared to open the door to Abraham's office. Fatigue and failure, for he saw no means for the vampire to have left the room Abraham had prepared for it. The wards were thick, heavy, complex, and he had not found any weakness in their implementation. Those signs, those symbols, those substances, they should have kept the vampire contained. It was like that damned American magician, that Houdini...escape from the inescapable, time and again. He'd studied those symbols, tested the silver inlays, gone over and over and over the ceiling wards, and found nothing. Not a single weakness.

And now he had to tell Abraham that he was at a loss, that he knew no means of keeping that monster contained and enclosed. And those sharp teeth...it had been toying with him downstairs. Abraham had said it was unrestrained, what sort of game was it playing? The beast was terrifying, even though it had been brought to heel easily and immediately by Van Helsing once its predatory behavior had been noticed.

And it was waiting for him behind that closed door.

He was no coward. With a deep breath, he turned the knob and pushed the well-oiled door forward.

The first thing in his sight was Abraham's desk, with the man seated solidly behind it. The next thing he noticed was the finger against the man's lips, silencing him. Fredrick paused, uncertain, and Abraham beckoned him in silently, motioning him to stand at Van Helsing's side. Closer, he could see the humor dancing in the man's eyes, and with a final touching of finger to lips to encourage silence, Abraham pointed off to the side.

Abraham's firm grip on his arm guided him to the chair as he stared at the monster. As threatening as it had been downstairs, as evil and monstrous as a vampire was, it seemed ridiculously defenseless, delicate, even. The thin, spare form was stretched out across the carpet, lolling casually out, boneless and gracefully, oblivious to its surroundings, and making the most bizarre rumbling noise he'd ever encountered.

Abraham's quiet whisper of "He's purring." helped explain things. Somewhat. Flustered and shocked, he sat gratefully in the chair, staring at the beast.

He'd come in expecting to be eyed as a meal, grinned at with a dancing, manic delight in the beast's eyes, perhaps taunted and intimidated, and he'd braced himself for that. He'd expected the worst, would not truly have been surprised to find Abraham's bloodless corpse or rotting ghoul in the room, and instead, the vampire was doing a fair imitation of a spoiled housecat. 


	54. Chapter 54

Ch 54

(Yes, these are very short lately. If I tried to make them longer they'd never get published... :))

"Alucard." No. Comfortable. Ignoring the voice, the vampire continued to drift.

"Alucard." More demanding, that. Half-asleep, Alucard cracked an eye open, wondering, mind foggy with...comfort? What?

Slightly confused, he pushed himself upright off the floor, blinking furiously, trying to clear his mind and remember. Master quit calling...he had time, time to wake, to remember. The window... wall...yes, right there, he could brace against it while he woke, more comfortable than sitting upright on the floor otherwise. He scooted slightly, still seated on the floor, but now with his back against the wall under the window, head resting on the lip of the window seat, drooping eyes staring blindly at the floor.

What?

Resting, he'd been resting. That was all. The floor had been comfortable, he'd stretched, relaxed. Relaxed...beyond expectations. Not asleep, quite, no...but nearly so. Very vulnerable...but Master had left him alone, he'd been safe. More awake, he lifted his head. Master had woken him up, why?

The desk swam into focus, his body reluctant to rouse completely from the near-stupor he'd been in, but he forced his eyes to concentrate and see. The desk, Abraham behind it...and that man, from downstairs, seated next to him. Alucard almost scowled, almost intimidated the man, at the flash of embarassment that he'd been seen so very unarmed, so vulnerable, but the flash and the urge were gone in a moment. He had no pride left to speak of, not anymore, and this man was no threat, not with Master present.

x x x x x x

Seeing the dim red eyes brighten and focus on them, Abraham watched closely. While both men were visible, their hands weren't...at least one hand of each rested on a pistol, and Fredrick had a rosary and garlic in his pocket, ready to grab in a moment. But the vampire did nothing, merely blinking at them, waiting, then indulging in a jaw-popping yawn. The lips writhed back, the tongue extended out with a curl at the tip, then drew back to pose like a snake prepared to strike, and the sharp fangs gleamed. Every inch of the impressive dentistry was on display, and Fredrick made an audible gulp at this. Abraham didn't get the impression that it was done to frighten them at all...the vampire was merely yawning as it attempted to fully wake. And within a few moments, it was blinking at them again, waiting silently, more alert and focused.

Abraham released his grip on the pistol and moved to the bottle instead. "Time to go back downstairs for you." The faintest look of disappointment skittered across Alucard's face, and Abraham lifted the bottle. The look immediately changed to avarice, sharper and hungrier and far more focused, red eyes boring into the bottle. "This is for you to eat after you're settled back in the room. Not until." The vampire's taut frame relaxed a bit, pink tongue flicking about the lips briefly as he grumbled slightly at the delay. Yes, Abraham was pleased to see the vampire was still hungry, willing to cooperate for his dinner. Three bottles had been almost enough when the vampire had been rested and healthy. But his little trips outside the room and recent starvation meant that the vampire was definitely feeling a bit peckish even after four full bottles.

Easy enough to remedy. Rising, he beckoned to the vampire, then turned to Fredrick. "I'll be back up in a few minutes, please wait here." The vampire ignored the man entirely, attention entirely focused on the bottle of red plasma, rising gracefully to wait silently by the door. He fell in behind Abraham, quiet and obedient, offering no resistance as they moved to the room.

He entered and turned, and Abraham broke the silence again. "There will be more visitors, Alucard. And there will be no more attempting to intimidate them, no threatening them however quiet you may be about it. Understood?"

At Abraham's quiet growl, the vampire's head jerked up, startled yet again, but his quiet "Yes, Master," was immediate and subservient.

"Here's your meal. You are to stay in this room until I return to release you. No more wandering about the house. I am reluctant to use a more effective means of confining you, but if you make it necessary, I will not hesitate. Here." Abraham held the bottle out, but instead of taking it immediately, the vampire shifted back and forth a bit, clearly thrown off-balance by Abraham's apparent anger and its own interpretation of what "more effective means" might entail.

Perhaps he had been too gruff. And Alucard might not have been completely alert yet, either. Together, those elements had caused the vampire's confidence to utterly crumble yet again. He'd been so calm, so composed during the trip from the office to the basement that Abraham had forgotten how thin the shell of normalcy could be for the creature. Fighting down a sigh, Abraham took a moment to reassure the beast. "You behaved well tonight, and I plan on bringing you back to the office tomorrow. Eat your meal, and rest." His gentle tone worked, effectively bringing the vampire away from the fear it had been experiencing and back to its more coherent self. The arms unclenched from his sides, and the vampire finally reached forward to take his bottle.

"Thank you, Master." Quiet, but lacking the overtones of fright in the previous response. Abraham smiled gently at the monster, surprising a puzzled stare out of it, then left. The interior door locked, the exterior door locked, the lantern retrieved...and he took one last look back through the window at his monster. Alucard hadn't moved, bottle held loosely in one hand, head tilted in slight puzzlement as he watched the door. Shaking his own head, Abraham climbed the stairs out of the dark basement and into the hallway again. The vampire was still far too broken, far too inclined to fear the very worst in any circumstance. Regretful, that, but necessary if the beast kept getting it into his head to leave his room. Eventually, someone was going to get hurt or even die. Perhaps he ought to ward this top door as well?

Speaking of wards, it was time to compare notes with Fredrick.

x x x x x x

"Abraham, I have no idea how he's been getting out. Everything is done correctly. The right words, the right metals, the right shapes, it's all there." Frustrated and frightened, the smaller man paced. "I don't know how we can keep him contained, safe. Abraham, we may have to lock him back in that coffin, that or find his teeth in our necks soon."

Abraham settled back into his chair, his calm presence a counterbalance to the clearly nervous and restless Fredrick. "No, not yet. And I know how he's gotten out, too." A small smile, pleased and a bit smug, stretched his lips. "He's still too intimidated by me, too subservient, to lie when he's received a shock. And realizing that I knew he'd been out and about in my home was all it took to get him to speak. Please, sit, and we'll go over this."

Fredrick took the proferred seat, leaning forward to question Abraham. "Can you trust what he said?"

"Well enough. It makes sense, and while he could have been lying, well, that's why you are here. I don't understand the wards, though I was able to follow directions and procedures and implement them. You're more skilled at this than I am, you've used wards multiple times on those creatures you've encountered. And some of the others should be far more skilled than either of us; if he's lying, and you don't catch the falsehood, one of them likely will." Abraham shifted, leaning back in his chair, lifting his pen to tap it on the notes as he organized his thoughts.

"He's strong. And he said the wards were weak near the end of the far window. The vampire can turn into a mist, and while he says it was difficult for him to exit, given time, he was able to press past those wards in that one area. Alucard admits that he might be able to exit out of the window at the opposite end as well, but considers it unlikely." A frown, and a pause. "The wards and bindings and holy symbols do impede him, do weaken him, but not to the extent that we expected. The holy items especially seem to need direct contact to be truly effective. He's not as neutralized in that cell as we'd expected, though he's definitely less powerful than he would be out of it. For tomorrow, I'd like to work on adding new wards and such to the windows. Simply hanging a rosary on them or placing a crucifix on the window itself might be enough to block his exit. He says the rest of the room is impenetrable, and he was annoyed enough at that, that I'm inclined to believe him." A roguish grin graced Abraham's features, and Fredrick visibly relaxed.

x x x

Abraham seemed so confident in his answer, and Fredrick turned it about his head, thinking, trying to spot weak points in the argument. If this vampire needed to be in contact with religious items to truly feel their effect...then the dampening abilities of the walls and silver wouldn't come into play to actually reduce his powers. Without them providing pressure and restraint, if he was a truly powerful vampire...well...the windows were a known weak point. But even so, they'd have been more than sufficient to restrain a vampire! How had he gotten out? It still didn't seem possible.

"Abraham, I can certainly add a different layer of wards, and I'd like to combine that with the crucifixes as well. Even so," and the eyes were very somber as he spoke, "he should not have been able to escape. Those wards should have held anything up to and including a minor demon. Still...we can block the windows more effectively and hope that this works." A defeated shrug. "I can't share your confidence in this. Abraham...he should not have been able to leave that room."

A short bit more of discussion, and the two men went to their beds. They'd try and restrain the creature without trapping it in its coffin. Fredrick was willing to do so, but Abraham wasn't. The smaller man had never seen Alucard weeping and broken and terrified, didn't understand just how horrifying the threat of the coffin was to the beast. While he knew that Alucard was a purely evil beast...Abraham couldn't subject it to such torture, not if there was an alternative. The vampire was obedient and non-aggressive, and unless and until that changed, Abraham wasn't going to even consider using a sealed coffin to restrain him.

Mind turning over thoughts of how to attach the crucifixes and rosaries to the windows, Abraham fell asleep.

x x x x x

Far below them, Alucard was wide awake. And while those wards and bindings would have held the typical vampire, they would not have held a sorcerer, a witch, a warlock...anyone with sufficient skill could unravel those bindings, warp and weaken them. He'd studied such skills before his death, and after his death, had found himself now possessed of an ability to actually see, feel, even smell the spells and workings. And he'd used that ability to expand his own native vampiric abilities, reducing his weaknesses and adding to his powers. Not much, for he was so powerful as a vampire that the minor abilities magic could grant were simply that, and a waste of time. But he had plenty of time to waste, and he'd been curious...and he had become a better sorcerer than those that had designed the spells to contain him.

Understanding their nature had allowed him to press through the wards about the window. And the ability to actually see the spells encasing the room, a talent which both the men apparently lacked, was now letting him unravel said work.

Humming slightly to himself, his teeth gleamed as he grinned and yet another thread of the spell fell loose, fading away as it drifted towards the floor.

He'd stay in the room. Abraham had told him to, and he wasn't about to disobey Master. Even his brief jaunt the previous night to check on his Master had been observed, somehow, some way. The man had caught him and even now, Alucard admitted to being incredibly intimidated by him. Far better to overestimate the man than to underestimate him. He'd stay in the room, as he'd been commanded.

But he'd never been told not to remove the wards. And they itched, made it hard to think, muffled and smothered him just enough to notice and cause discomfort. If he needed to leave with any speed at all, he was quite effectively trapped by them. He could snap them quickly, and Abraham would know...and Alucard didn't think the man would take that well, no, not at all.

So, slowly, then. A few days of patient work, and those spells would simply fade away, unnoticed. The symbols and metal plates would be nothing more than lines and bits of iron, detached from the working, their effectiveness disippated. It would all appear intact, but stop him no more than a thread would stop a warhorse.

Slowly, patiently, he searched through the web of power above him, hunting out the weak threads and delicate junctions, and gently, carefully, removing them. 


	55. Chapter 55

It's up, finally :)  
>Thank you for all the great reviews and feedback! A few people have found my older stories and read them for the first time, sending me messages and leaving reviews. It's always a treat to know that my old stuff is still being read and enjoyed! So, here it is...a little bit of vampiric POV. More to come, hopefully tonight.<p>Ch 55<p>

Alucard scowled at the ceiling. He'd done all he could for tonight, the threads needing time to fade and decay. Frustrating. The entire structure was so very close to unraveling, but it wasn't quite there. A few more days, and it would fade away entirely.

In the meantime, he'd have to tolerate the itch and the pressure of the containment. It wasn't severe, but he was always aware of it at the back of his mind, a minor itch that he couldn't scratch. The warding around the door was much more impressive, and would take time to pick apart, time and focus. With those gone, he'd have his strength back. Without the constant distraction of the pressure of the wards, he'd be able to think clearly, to reason through what was happening. Time and focus and he'd have the wards gone, soon.

With the sun already lightening the sky, it was time he didn't have, not tonight. Perhaps tomorrow. For now, he'd use the last bit of his waking time to ponder the events that were occuring.

Master had brought in someone else, allowed that person to access his room, his COFFIN, while he was upstairs. Nothing had been damaged or moved, the coffin appeared untouched, no scent clinging to it after a careful check. He wasn't certain what the man was doing. And Master was bringing in more? Worrisome. Most worrisome.

He wasn't frightened of them, no...a period of careful introspection didn't trigger fear. But they upset his carefully-maintained, carefully-restored balance. Master came to see him at the start of the evening, bringing plentiful food and needed company. They talked, there were questions, then he was left alone for the bulk of the night to eat and rest. It was an established pattern. Master arrived, they previously and then again tonight would go upstairs, there would be food and Master would ask questions, he would be allowed to watch the sky and relax, even go outside, then return to the basement.

Routine. Safe, comforting routine. Badly upset when Master had been hurt. He'd starved. Here, the vampire trembled a bit, remember the hunger and fear and madness of only a few days prior. He forced confidence back into himself, remembering that this had changed. He'd been fed again. With that memory, the last bottle was lifted, lid removed, and the fifth bottle vanished. Trembling fingers placed the lid on the empty bottle, and a tense vampire replaced the bottle in the window.

Calm, calm. It was over. Over. Master fed him again, he was full now, very full, fed. And he was not left alone, nor was Master angry. He'd been allowed out tonight, allowed to watch the Moon, questioned...and gently questioned, even. Though he'd given Master cause for anger, Master had not been angry at all. Safe, fed, Master not angry. The mantra repeated in his mind, and Alucard straightened again, arms relaxing at his side.

He was so...broken. Mere thoughts and memories, no matter how terrible, should not be able to silence his mind, place him a victim to emotions he'd thought long shed. But they did. With a grumble at the situation, the vampire curled up on his coffin lid.

So broken, he was an easy victim. But Abraham...did not treat him as such. The man protected him, fed him, cosseted him. The only damage done was accidental, never purposeful. He found himself enjoying the man's company, above and beyond the anodyne it presented to his loneliness and solitude. He couldn't understand this, it was not what a human did. Humans feared vampires, hunted them, and on the very very rare occasions when a vampire was careless and the humans had the opportunity, humans did their level best to hurt and kill the vampire.

They didn't wake early to come and lift a vampire into its coffin to save it from nightmares. They didn't worry that the vampire would be upset...and they certainly didn't smile and reassure the vampire when they left. They didn't make certain a vampire was not only fed, but knew that it would be fed. Captors kept their captives uncertain, off-balance, not informed and reassured and safe.

Abraham had done all those things.

So had the Priest, though to a lesser extent given the short nature of their acquaintance. Priests certainly did not attempt to "take care of" a vampire in any way that didn't involve a final death.

He didn't know how to react. He didn't know why the men had behaved this way. Arthur and John and Mina and Johnathan, he understood them. But even Mina and Johnathan were so different. Was it an English thing? Did they have more...advanced...means of dealing with their prey, their victims, than the rougher men he'd known? Was he being manipulated somehow? And simply too broken still to understand?

Were these new men that would be visiting...was Abraham finally acting in a predictable manner? Acting like a captor should, especially when the captive was a vampire? Were they here for a different reason, solely human and unrelated to his capture?

He was too tired to think of these things further. The sun had risen. The wards kept him muzzy-headed, impinged on the clarity of his mind. He was full, the scent of the coffin was strong in his nostrils though the wide-open room was visible to his eyes...safe. Full. Tired. He drifted off to sleep.

x x x x 


	56. Chapter 56 yes, really! Oops!

(The two Irishmen need names. I was just going to google Irish surnames, but if anyone would like to leave a name suggestion via a review, please do. They'll have names next chapter! I'm not too happy with this chapter, but after 8 people apparently had alerts to my story and were showing on the Stats page for ch 55 BEFORE IT WENT LIVE ON THE SITE, I felt I really ought to have more out there than the little drabble of a previous chapter. So, for the reviews and those with alerts, this chapter is for you. :) )

Ch 56

The newcomers were less confident than Fredrick, and when they arrived shortly after breakfast, they were horrified at being brought up-to-date on the situation. Specifically, that the vampire was entirely uncontrolled. Fredrick's description of its behavior did little to ameliorate their fear, and when Abraham went downstairs to "fix" the hole in the window, they accompanied him.

Silver bullets in guns and guns in shaky hands, but they accompanied him. It made Abraham nervous, knowing that they were there and armed and unsettled behind him. They stayed back, at the base of the stairs, watching him.

Between the two of them, Fredrick and Abraham had decided to use a combination of items to block the vampire's exit. Two tiny silver jewelry boxes had been "borrowed" from spare bedrooms, and Host placed inside them. It was hoped that this would keep mice and rats from making off with the Host, and the silver would help as well. A crucifix with a silver chain was placed in the window, and Holy Water and sacramental wine were mixed in with a lacquer and painted around the inside of the window frame. Both windows received their silver box and the sticky layer of blessed lacquer. Throughout this time, the new men simply watched cautiously.

But even though Fredrick and Abraham spoke, there was no sound from the chamber. Abraham's quick glance inside had shown nothing more than the edge of a foot, for the vampire invariably placed his lid behind the coffin, out of easy view, and he slept silently atop it. Though it took them over a quarter-hour to create the new barriers and they made no attempt at silence, Alucard did not respond. And by the end, both the hunters, a pair of Irishmen, were peering cautiously through the window at the beast.

Abraham took a final glance in, and saw the foot pull back out of sight. His guests, unfortunately, saw this too, and with loud shouts pulled back towards the stairs, guns lifted.

Abraham didn't.

He didn't think the vampire was waking or rising to attack...but only moving in the throes of a nightmare. And while difficult to hear under the noise the others were making, Alucard did seem to be whining.

It took him only moments to reach a decision. After all, there were three armed and experience hunters here. He'd just reinforced the barriers. If the vampire chose to attack him, it would find silver bullets flying at it. And if it succeeded, it would find itself solidly trapped again. But he didn't think it would. It had hours of opportunity the previous night, with him alone and unguarded, and it had simply stretched out and then dozed.

He was realistically in more danger from the skittish men shooting him than his vampire biting him.

Their voices rose in panic as they realized what he intended and they rushed to him, trying to pull him from the door.

"Damnation, both of you. He's not a danger to me. Watch from the windows with your weapons if you choose, but we were both in there with him yesterday and he spent last night up in my office with me." Annoyed at their interference, he practically growled the next bit at them. "If I wasn't worried you'd shoot him or myself from your nerves alone, I'd let you have an up-close look at him, same as Fredrick. As it is, calm yourselves. Watch at the window if you'd like to see him. And unless you see his bare fangs heading towards my throat, don't you dare pull a trigger."

Shaking a hand off his arm, Abraham pulled the door open. His short tirade had worked, and the two men weren't interfering. He really couldn't blame them. They'd arrived less than an hour ago, gotten nothing more than a short description of the beast's activity, been given silver bullets and stakes and brought to guard him while he added barriers to the room, and now he was entering the chamber of an awake and captive vampire. Their misgivings and interference were entirely understandable and far more laudable than a foolhardy courage. But still annoying.

A few strides into the room, and he was resting his lantern on the floor. The vampire was curled up almost entirely under the blanket, only that one lone foot visible and that pulled up tight against its legs. Alucard was silent now, but as Abraham knelt to pick him up, the vampire gasped and curled even tighter.

He was awake, if not by much. And frightened, whether it was from the presence of Abraham, residual fear from a nightmare, or simply the old fear of being touched.

"Shhh. It's only me. I came to place you in your coffin." Calm and serene and unruffled, voice smooth and even, reasurring. The blanket twitched down and bleary, frightened eyes blinked at him. As the vampire realized who the voice and footsteps belonged to, it relaxed. Alucard didn't say a word, but fell back asleep between one breath and the next, eyes going from frightened to only sleepy and then closed in the same space of time.

Silly beast.

With a grunt, Abraham scooped the creature up. Even well-fed, it weighed less than his mind felt it ought to, but it was still a full-grown adult monster and heavy enough. Aware of the watchers at the window, he stood for a few moments, letting them see the sleeping monster draped across his arms. Alucard remained motionless and he settled the beast gently in its coffin. A surprised mumbled conversation was audible as he bent to pick up the pillow and tucked it under the beast's head, then draped the discarded blanket over it as well.

Scooping up the lantern, he moved to the door, and rejoined the group in the hallway.

The Irishmen simply stared at him.

"He gets nightmares out of his coffin and is yet too traumatized to enter it himself or be in it while awake. So, after dawn, I place him in it and he gets a full ration of sleep. Otherwise, he's tired and even less coherent than when he's rested."

He turned and locked the doors behind him, then moved to the stairs, expecting the others to follow.

"And now that you've met him, I'd like to get you settled in your rooms. It was a very late night last night, and I'd like to give you the journals to read through while I take a nap. Alucard can't adjust his sleeping schedule to a human's but I can accomodate him somewhat, and my nights end as more of an early-morning than anything else far too often." A nod over at Fredrick. "He was up as late as I was last night, and we both aren't going to function well without a bit more sleep. I do apologize, but there's nothing that can be done about it. Alucard is tractable for now but even so I'm not going to face him half-asleep."

Mollified by the explanation, it wasn't long before the two men were seated in the study. Diagrams of the seals were available to them, though neither one had any real skill or knowledge in that area. They simply hunted, as they put it, the "wee beasties" of their home. They'd never tried wards, not even applied the wards of another's design as Abraham and Fredrick had. They'd hunted a vampire once, and that was why there were two of them now, and not four. But they'd successfully chased away that vampire when it failed to kill all of the party, and had accounted for several lesser beasts between them. Now, they needed to learn more about vampires and particularly Alucard. His notes and journals were at their disposal, as were Fredrick's tomes and resources.

And while they studied, dammit, he was going to get some much-needed sleep. 


	57. Chapter 57

(If you read Dracula, most of this is familiar knowledge to you. :) But I wanted to do an Abraham-introspective now to balance the Alucard one).

Ch 57

Abraham felt far more awake after his prolonged "nap." A late breakfast, a nap, and now a late lunch, and he was ready to face his guests and, later, the vampire. And so they'd all met in the study again, books about them, to go over what had occurred and was occurring.

"I know most of this was in the journals, but I'd like you to hear it first-hand. Fredrick knows some of it already, but I want your feedback and your intuition. Alucard does not act like a vampire should act. I'm not certain why. I count myself lucky, for it's kept everyone safe so far, but I'm uncertain of the reasons behind his behavior."

A look about the room showed him three attentive faces, and he began his narrative. "Several months ago, the vampire requested the services of an English solicitor to purchase property in Britain. He drove the first man insane, and Renfield was returned and placed in an asylum. The second man was Johnathan Harker. Dracula used his knowledge to enlarge his own knowledge of England, and when all was prepared, left the man to be destroyed by his three "brides," three female vampires that shared his castle. Johnathan indicated that they were very...bestial. Lacking in intelligence, though not cunning, and driven by wants and desires. I have no input on this myself."

A sip of his watered wine, and he continued. "He came to England on a cargo ship, and murdered every soul on board. Once here, he began hunting. He located Mina, Johnathan's wife, and preyed upon her friend Lucy. This is when I became involved. I'm accustomed to vampires killing prey quickly, and victims rarely living. I've known a vampire to return to finish a meal a day or so later, but he didn't do so. Instead, he continued to visit her over the course of several days, destroying her slowly. I do not know if vampires travel, so I do not know if his voyage to England was truly out of the norm. However, his behavior with Miss Westenra was the first sign that this vampire was somehow different.

We stopped him, barred him from her, but she died anyways and was destroyed by her fiance when she had reanimanted and begun to hunt children. I and Lucy's fiance, the Harkers, Lord Godalming, and an American named Quincy worked to locate and destroy the earth the vampire needed to rest in. We succeeded, and he attempted to control Mina and to hunt us as we hunted him.

After Lucy's death, he fled, returning to Romania. We followed him, catching him before dark and before he reached his home by using the link he'd established with Mina. We broke that link shortly before catching the beast. We pulled him out of his coffin, stabbed him through the heart, and removed his head." Gasps all around, and he eyed them all seriously.

"It was a knife in the heart, not a wooden stake, but it should have destroyed him. Taking off his head should have killed him, too. He's an old vampire, stronger than most. It certainly damaged him; he didn't turn to dust, but was on the verge of being a mere skeleton at that point. Harmless. We'd destroyed his brides and freed Mina already. I thought he was done, that perhaps he was simply too old to become dust."

"I was wrong." Soft tones now. "He had been protected by his Romani and they stole him away from us. I planned to expose him to the sun in the morning, thinking he was finished off, wanting to see if that would turn him to dust after all. If not, I intended to bury the remains at a crossroads. So we'd left him closed in the coffin, and the coffin was gone, taken away that same night.

But we'd already fought the Romani men. They were injured in the battle that killed Quincy, and didn't take Dracula far, only to the nearest cemetery. We found them there, killed them both, for only two lived, and found Dracula much restored. If it hadn't still been daylight, I suspect he would have killed us. I staked him again, and he didn't die. Not immediately. He ceased to move, barely concious, unable to defend himself, unable to attack or escape."

A longer pause, then, as he tried to explain his logic to the men. "I had at my feet a vanquished vampire, stronger and different from any vampire I'd encountered or heard of. And so I decided to bring him here and study him. We left him staked and helpless, sealed his coffin, and I and the surviving four of my party brought him back to England to study. We left him in the coffin during the travels and while we prepared that room downstairs. And that was perhaps my greatest folly."

Abraham closed his eyes, remembering the fear in the vampire's voice, the panic, at what he'd done. And he'd thought it was simply manipulating them. It had been so scared... "I thought he'd simply sleep the entire trip. He didn't. He was awake, all night, every night. Trapped, in pain, unable to see or smell. He couldn't move after the first week or so, he'd screamed himself hoarse in panic. We ignored it, thinking it was only bluff and manipulation, an attempt to seem helpless and pathetic. It wasn't." His voice roughened slightly from emotion. "We broke the vampire, entirely. The isolation, the silence, the pain, he went mad. When we finally opened the coffin to release him, we found that he'd torn away at the inside of it. Vampires don't damage their coffins, and he'd partially destroyed his attempting to escape. He'd also severely damaged himself, breaking bones, ripping off nails...it was...grotesque.

And he was entirely unresponsive. Nothing we did woke him. We fed him, pouring literal gallons of blood down his throat, and he didn't move. Healed, yes. But no movement. It was days before he awoke, and when he did, he couldn't handle any stimulation at all. Any sound, any light, any movement, caused pure agony for him."

The glass was settled on the table, and Abraham shivered slightly at the memory. It hadn't affected him so much at the time, but as he'd grown to know the vampire, see the sheer depth and persistence of the damage, he'd also grown to appreciate the sheer horror of what had occurred.

"He's better now, substantially. But he's very, very damaged. I keep him isolated, away from people. He spends most of his time down in the dark and quiet. I'd put bonds on him, the fetters that several hunters had created over the years, and I thought that kept him docile, safe. I would question him each night, try to learn from him, feed him, and then reward him with trips outside. On one of those trips, I was badly injured, and he escaped, missing his collar."

A snort. "Escaped, no, more like driven off when the men with me panicked, but gone nonetheless, and me too sick and hurt to do anything about it. I thought we'd have a slaughter on our hands, with his fetters gone. But instead, he found someone else to keep him safe and just waited for me. I didn't get there for a full day, and he'd had the manacles removed too by then. And he didn't hurt a soul...and was pathetically glad to see me.

He healed me when I was unconcious, healed me of a shattered and septic leg. A vampire should have seen an injured human as an easy meal. He damned near killed himself getting me better. And then while I recovered, I had him locked away again, starved motionless. Not deliberately, but still, it happened."

Blue eyes fixed on them in turn. "He should hate me for that. Should hate me for killing his brides, hate me for taking Mina from him, hate me for breaking his mind. But he doesn't. He worries, fears that I'll be hurt or die, and is terrified of being on his own. He can't function as he is, can't even feed himself, and he's completely dependent on me. But he could have simply stayed with the Priest, whom he'd found when he escaped, and never returned. And all he did then was worry about me finding him.

Since then, he's left the room twice. Once, to come up to the office and just look out the window. The second time, he went to check on me, frantic that I was injured. He doesn't threaten me, answers questions willingly, worries for my safety, and panics into mindless fear if he thinks I am angry with him or at risk."

A sigh, and Abraham looked down at his clasped hands for several long moments.

"I confess, I don't know really what to do with him. I'd intended to strap him to a table and start experimenting on him when he was his old self, without a scrap of conscience telling me not to. Now...I don't know. I do know he needs to be kept contained. I need to know if he's simply being very clever at manipulating me. I need to know that, even as he recovers, he isn't dangerous to me or those around me. But I'm not longer a researcher and him a specimen."

A pause then, and then questions. Sean, the older and grizzled of the two Irishmen, wanted to know how the vampire was being kept down there, what restrained it. Danny was worried more about how it was fed, and when the daily blood delivery arrived late that afternoon, was reassured but more than a bit disgusted. At the end of it, Abraham left them with the books and a few things to consider.

The primary fact was that they needed a portable, unbreakable, inescapable way to contain the monster. Permanently.

The second was that he wished them to quietly observe the creature's behavior, and draw their own conclusions. He wanted them to reach those conclusions without his input and bias affecting them, and then share those with him after repeated observations. Perhaps they'd see something, some clue in its behavior, that he was missing. He needed fresh eyes. Perhaps the vampire was as simple and transparent as it seemed, only staying there because no other real and viable option existed for him. But perhaps he was correct in thinking that some sort of emotional bond had formed and that the vampire was coming to care for him? If so...they'd need to see it on their own, without the influence of guilt for breaking the beast affecting their conclusions.

And so he was off to take care of a few minor things before the vampire woke.

It hadn't had a proper bath since the very beginning. The clothes it had worn when it escaped were a total loss. The remaining outfit was grimy and worn. The floor of the cell was far cleaner than it had been but not what he'd consider sparkling with cleanliness and the blanket had definitely seen better days. The vampire wasn't filthy as such but it had a definite patina of grime and soot.

Time to find it a better set of clothes. Perhaps a proper shirt and pants. No shoes, not for those awkwardly large feet, but a solid set of good leather slippers. A smile, remembering how the vampire liked to stay hidden. One shouldn't wear a hat inside...but perhaps this time it would be appropriate.

Before long, an employee was off to the city to get a large pair of leather slippers, a belt, and a hat. His own closet had yielded a shirt that had seen better days but was carefully patched and far from the rag-bag. Pants...those came from a groom, an elderly lanky man, old and faded but intact. Abraham had been tempted to give the beast his own, but the shirt alone would billow on that reed-thin body. A few moments of thought reminded him of the tall, stooped, spare groom, and he'd gone to buy the trousers. Had he given Alucard his own clothing, the pants would have been laughably large, clownish. These would be too short, true, but fit better about the waist, not in danger of dropping off the beast entirely. And a maid could take the cuffs out, extending them a few more inches.

The vampire didn't need a kitchen to bathe, not being crusted in filth this time, and so Abraham prepared the bathing room itself for the beast. A tub of hot water awaited it when it woke. It wouldn't be filled yet, no, but he had towels and soap waiting and spent his time instructing the household residents on avoiding that section of the house after sunset.

He'd have to present his property to the others, properly. If Alucard had been a stallion, he'd have been groomed and trimmed and had a braided mane. Abraham didn't really care if the vampire was concerned with its appearance and cleanliness, but he had his own standards to maintain. And he rather thought the creature would appreciate better clothes and the extra concealment of a wide-brimmed hat. 


	58. Chapter 58

(coming down with a cold, so not writing a whole lot for a few days, most likely. But I had most of this chapter written, and just had to add a bit at the bottom to get it up tonight. Once again, thanks for the reviews, and for those of you who've taken time to go look at the other stories too! Awaken Cold and Lonely has had a ton of visitors this last week, which has put a smile on my face!)

Ch 58

He woke, cautious. He'd fallen asleep wondering about the men that Master said would be visiting, and one of them had already been in and around his coffin the previous day. So he woke, unmoving, still and motionless until his mind awoke.

Listening showed him no nearby heartbeats, and he relaxed. Reaching up to pull the blanket off his face, his arm bumped the side of his coffin. He was out of the coffin and halfway across the room before the panicked response calmed. No one around to see, he allowed himself to droop a bit, whimpering, arms wrapped tight around himself.

He appreciated that Master had placed him in it, let him sleep peacefully without nightmares. He'd had a long day's rest, not a bit terrified...until he awoke. Worth it, but still...distressing. Shaking off the remnants of fear, he lifted his head. No one was near NOW, but what about before?

Sniffing about his coffin and the air gave him only traces of scents. No one here, no, but there were scents by the windows that he didn't recognize. Two more men, plus the original. He'd had visitors, but all had been wise enough to stay away from him. An odd scent by the window, dry, alcoholic even, and he could see the gummy traces of something lining the window. A careful touch scorched his fingers, and he jerked back his hand with a narrowing of the eyes.

A crucifix...silver box...no, more than a silver box. It was blessed somehow in addition to the metal. And that sticky substance lining the window? No, he'd not be escaping that way again any time soon. He needed to get those wards down. Quickly.

Did he have time to work on them tonight before Master arrived? No, not likely...Master could be there any time, he didn't want disturbed in the middle of that rather tricky bit of work. But there was the opportunity to check the ceiling wards, yes.

A wicked grin split his face. The ceiling wards were entirely faded in one section of the room, vanished and gone. Symbols and metal plates remained, useless and nearly-useless. It was harder to travel through a solid material than to simply ghost about as mist, but it was doable. And he could make it through that section now. The door wards still pressed on him, but the ceiling wards were nearly gone! The silver on the floor was the greatest barrier, but he'd simply ignore that for now. It was a physical barrier, and he could respect that. Same as with the walls and that damnable mortar. They were effective barriers. Ones he could overcome with great effort when at the peak of his abilities, but only then. He was pleased, so pleased, that the ceiling wards had faded so rapidly and smoothly.

But where was his dinner? Master?

A chill of fear. Had Master realized what he had done with the ceiling?

No. If Master saw, he'd not have been left to sleep safely in his coffin, no. Master didn't know. But where was he? If Master was leaving him down here, not feeding him, he could leave, wasn't trapped. But Master would be very angry. Master had been quite stern that he must stay in the room. Memories of the intense, unremitting hunger, the starvation, flared up, trapped and unable to move, so recently, and he began to rock nervously.

Fool. He was being foolish. Master was only a little late. There were guests. It was far too early to panic. He was rested, he'd eaten well the night before, Master had taken time to place him in the coffin to sleep while the new barriers were placed. There was no reason to think he'd be left to starve.

Unless...was Master testing his obedience? He...he had given the man cause to doubt it. He'd left the room. Twice. Was he meant to stay in the room, hungry, as a test to make certain he'd obey? If he was very hungry and left, would Master seal him back in the coffin? Was Master starving him again, abandoning him, to make certain the cell could hold him?

Perhaps.

And the vampire began to pace, fretting and anxious. Not panicking, no...but the routine was disrupted. And his mind showed him image after image of all the terrible reasons it could have changed, of what Master would do if he left the room, of being trapped in the room and slowly starving again...

It was with a sob of relief that he heard the basement door open. 


	59. Chapter 59

Ch 59

(underclothes at the time were a combination shirt-and-pants, with "access panels" if I remember correctly. I forget, it's been awhile. Boxers and briefs weren't yet created or popular. Also, it's late...I didn't do any proofreading after writing this. If you catch a mistake, especially in what items are where, please let me know. I wouldn't be surprised if the hat showed up in the bathroom first, for instance!)

Abraham moved down the stairs, wondering if he was crazy to be doing this, trying to convince himself that he just ought to leave the beast in there. He could continue to feed it through the windows, after all. But they'd need to put some sort of controls on it, and that would mean the beast needed to be moved about. The room wards could be replaced with stronger ones, rather than the patched-together version he was currently using. One of the visitors that would be arriving in a few weeks would be an excellent resource for that. And the vampire needed to be restrained, a replacement for those fetters established.

All in all, it needed to be accustomed to leaving the room and remaining under his control. Doing so also gave him a useful bribe for the beast. And...he honestly didn't have any reason now to think it would attack him.

Other than the fact that this was a vampire. A deadly predator, a hunter of humans, and one that he was confining and ordering about. At some point, if the vampire recovered his senses enough, it would put him on its menu. But for now?

Now...every bit of caution and safeguard had been a waste of effort. It had never attacked him, never even threatened to. He was starting to feel like an idiot staying on guard so much around the beast. And so, to Hell with all the precautions and safeguards. It wasn't going to attack him, and everyone else was armed against it.

And when he opened the door and saw its half-panicked expression and fearful crouch, he felt more justified in his confidence. And a bit guilty. Filling the bath up had taken more time than he'd expected, and he'd had an argument with his three guests about bathing the beast, period. Alucard might have thought he'd been abandoned; the sun had set most of an hour previously. With a twinge of guilt, Abraham also realized that he'd come down there without any bottles.

The vampire had realized this, too. It had crumpled somewhat, both resigned and fearful, watching him cautiously. It was going to get a bit of a surprise tonight. First, though, to let it know it was going to be fed.

"Your dinner is waiting upstairs." No mistake there, some of the tension and resignation vanished. "I have more guests here, and more will be arriving." A slight smile. "You're dirty again and your clothes need to go into the rag-bag. I have better clothes for you, ones more suitable for you to be seen in." No mistake there, the vampire was interested in and somewhat pleased at the mention of the clothing. What it was wearing now had been nearly rags already when it was presented with the clothes, and now...they were nothing but rags. "The bathing room is also ready for you. I'll clean you up, feed you, and clothe you. Then we'll be in my office again."

To his surprise, the vampire drew back at this, slowly creeping around to put the coffin between them. Its face, normally such an unguarded indicator of its emotions, was entirely unreadable, but its body language was clear. It did not want a bath. Understandable. Its first bath had twice resulted in the bindings putting the creature in so much agony that it couldn't speak or move, and it had been utterly miserable during the entire bath itself.

He intended to have it wash itself. But it didn't know that...and he wanted to see just how obedient it would be, even though the obedience would result in something it clearly deemed unpleasant.

"Come with me." He turned and left, wondering if his vampire would follow or not. Partway down the hall, he looked over his shoulder to see the vampire ghosting along behind him, head down and looking miserable. Obedient, yes, but silent and unhappy and definitely dreading the upcoming experience.

He led it up the stairs, then across the house to the bathroom. When they passed the stairwell, he was aware of the three men standing on the balcony and watching. The vampire remained mute and slumped, oblivious to anything but Abraham and its growing dread, stumbling after him.

It was still silent when they entered the bathing chamber, but red tears stained the area under its eyes. Abraham relented; the vampire was clearly going to obey him. It made no secret that it did not wish to be bathed, but would reluctantly allow this to happen. There was no reason to make it any more miserable than it was, and he felt guilty enough already!

"You'll be bathing yourself. You're no longer a near-invalid and I'm sure you know how to handle a soap and washrag." Stunned red eyes watched him as Abraham took a seat on a stool by the door. "Go ahead and bathe. The tub is over there." With a wave of his hand, Abraham indicated the curtain across the room from them. The vampire would have some privacy while it bathed; there were no doors or windows other than the one beside Abraham. He'd considered its reaction to having clothes, its tendency to cover itself with the blanket when possible, and realized that, well, the beast just might be modest.

It was an incredible thought to apply to a vicious, bloodsucking, murderous, undead monster. Still, he'd brought in a frame with a curtain that he'd used for his patients, and set up a private alcove for the vampire.

And the vampire was already behind it, having wasted no time at all. "Alucard, you'll find soap, towels, and a set of new clothing waiting there. Don't get the new clothes wet. Leave the old ones in the basket." The gentle rustle of fabrics and the quiet splashing of the tub told him that his beast was stripped and immersed, and he settled back to lean against the doorframe and listen. When the vampire made a few pleased humming sounds, he found himself smiling.

x x x x x x

Clean. So good to be clean! Always before he'd simply shifted his form, leaving the dirt and soil behind. He should have done so when he left the room before, but he'd been far too worried about Abraham and in too much of a hurry to think of it.

He'd dreaded the bath. Abraham had been a good Master, but...vampires were attractive to humans, whether they wished it or not. And having Abraham's hands on his body, washing it, unclothed and naked to the man's eyes...it could have gone very badly.

And Master had known. Had left him alone to bath. He hummed happily to himself, relief making him nearly giddy. The water was warm, helping him relax from the extremely tense state he'd been in. Warm water was rarely comforting, and he mused that both times he'd bathed, he had unexpectedly found the warm water...pleasurable. The soap was odd. He was used to coarser soaps; even as a noble, in the mountains of Romania, fine soaps were rare and reserved for the ladies. This soap had an odd spicy scent to it, clearly a masculine scent, but not harsh at all, no. Pleasant. Another pleased hum as he sniffed it, then lathered and scrubbed and rinsed. His hair, too, had gotten dirty, collected bits of dust and cobwebs, and he used the soap to scrub at it as well. Lounging back, he washed his feet, no longer black with grime but still smudged and dirty, working the soapy cloth between his toes.

Done and clean, he sighed, leaning back against the tub, reveling in the moment. Clean, comfortable, the spicy scent of the soap surrounding him. The room was quiet, Abraham's heartbeat and breathing and the gentle lapping of the water the only sounds. The room was all white and light blue, and would have been glaringly bright...but Master had dimmed the lights, even leaving the gas light by the tub dark.

x x x x x x

The beast had finished his bath, judging from the silence, and Abraham smiled a bit, letting it relax. But they needed to finish and meet with the others. And a thought struck him...had the beast ever used modern conveniences? Perhaps not. And his house had a very modern water system, complete with a large copper boiler to warm the water!

"Alucard, there is a plug in the bottom of the bathtub. When you are ready to rinse off, pull the plug. The silver handle on the left, when turned, will give you warm water. The right one is cold water." A splash as the beast shifted, then the faint gurgling of draining water. He'd been correct, and the beast hadn't known what to do next. Or, it had simply been relaxing, in no hurry to finish. Splashing sounds showed him the vampire rinsing off, and he laced his hands together across his stomach, leaning comfortably back against the wall as he waited.

x x x x x

Handles? The vampire looked quizzically at them. A tentative turn of one, and water rushed out. How odd, he'd expected to have to pump it. And how convenient, too. He hadn't given any thought to rinsing, expecting a bucket of clean water to be waiting as a matter of course, but this was most definitely superior! The water was cool and chill, and he twisted the other handle, feeling the temperature change to something warmer. Warm water would rinse the soap from him far better than cool, and he ducked his head under the stream, scrubbing away.

Soapy water streamed off him, and he twisted and splashed a bit, rinsing himself thoroughly. Ah, no wonder the soap was such a pleasant smell. It was part of the smell that he identified as Abraham. Master had given him the man's own soap to use. He hadn't expected that, really, and wouldn't have been surprised to be given the harsh yellow lye that he'd been scrubbing the floors with.

But fine soap, an astonishingly modern bathroom, and, yes, fine thick towels. Taking a moment, he turned the hot water off, letting the cold water pour over him and leach away the extra heat. The bath had been wonderful, but vampires weren't meant to be warm, and he spent a few more minutes cooling himself to a comfortable level. The water was by no means icy, but it chilled him nicely after the warm water. The warm water had been necessary to remove all the soap, but the cold water was far more pleasant! Rinsed and cooled, he rose, patting himself dry, then turned to dress.

Underclothes? Yes, Master had provided a set, and the vampire pulled it on, buttoning it up the front. It was too big, and baggy about the chest and waist, but long enough to be comfortable. Pants, real pants, not the drawstring bottoms he'd been wearing, pants with buttons and belt loops. A bit short, but heavier and darker than he'd had before. And a belt. A new belt? Yes! The shirt was large, billowing about him, but he felt safer with the extra fabric, more concealed. Two layers of clothes was, to him, two layers of armor. He didn't really know why he felt the need to hide himself away, but the clothes somehow reassured him. And slippers? Not shoes, but then again, what cobbler would wish to measure a vampire's feet? Thick lambswool lined them, and a set of laces allowed him to tighten them on his narrow feet. Not a bit loose, with a soft bottom...he could walk silently in these, no flopping about to make him audible as the sole slapped against the floor.

He found himself smiling. The bath, the soap, the towels, the slippers...Master was treating him well, very well, even though he was a vampire. The human knew he was a monster, had him at the man's mercy...and was merciful. So odd. It was not what he expected at all, and he wasn't entirely sure why the man did this. But his bath was done, and Master was waiting. He grabbed a towel and stepped from behind the curtain, drying the last of the water from his hair.

x x x x x

The vampire looked far more confident. It stood erect, clean and handsome again, looking far more respectable and less monstrous in proper clothing Abraham was pleased to see this, but wondered if that would mean the creature would be feeling less cooperative. No, the vampire came directly to him, a tentative and small smile on its face. Alucard stopped in front of him, clearly waiting for directions, and a polite and inquisitive "Master?" prodded Abraham to stop admiring his creature and continue with the evening's plans.

"You need to tuck in your shirt, Alucard," he reminded the beast gently, but instead, Alucard looked down a moment, not tucking it in at all.

"Please...may I leave it untucked?" The voice was slightly plaintive, and Abraham frowned before realizing something very basic. All that loose cloth provided concealment. It was impossible to see the vampire's build under the thick white cloth. But he couldn't go around untucked, looking like some sort of savage or lunatic or a child wearing a nightshirt! But the beast looked so pathetic...

"No, Alucard. You need to tuck it in. But would you like a coat to wear over it?" The face came back up and the vampire stared at him in brief surprise before a fanged grin split its face and it nodded.

"Yes, please!" A chuckle at its enthusiasm, and Abraham reached out to pluck the towel from its hands. He was pleased to see the vampire barely react at all to his near-touch, and a small smile lit his own face at the vampire's eager cooperation. "Then come with me. Your dinner is waiting in my room, as is a comb. You need to eat and comb your hair, and I'll get you a coat from my closet."

x x x x x

The vampire followed right behind him all the way to his room, but now unstressed and alert. He'd thought it might balk at the thought of entering his room again, but it simply followed him, clearly in a good humor, and red eyes taking in the house as they walked. It hadn't been down this hall before, and the red eyes were absorbing every detail.

When they passed the stairs again, he heard one of the men call out to the others that the vampire was there. Alucard's head jerked up and he skittered sideways as his eyes found the men, but the startlement was brief. A few quick steps and he was back to his accustomed place at Abraham's heels, and then they were past the stairway and approaching his bedroom.

The vampire did hesitate briefly at the door, and Abraham ignored it, simply pointing to his dresser. "The comb is for your hair, and there are two bottles of blood as well. I'll find you a coat while you eat." Ignoring the vampire, he moved to his closet, and then a quick backward glance saw the vampire lifting the first of the bottles. Satisfied that it would be involved with its meal for the next few minutes, he moved into his closet.

He had quite the collection of clothing. With the amount of traveling he did, it was no wonder. He'd bought quality clothes and cared for them well, and they had lasted. He was no vain man, and not inclined to be wasteful, but he'd nevertheless acquired a substantial amount of clothing to choose from!

A few items remained from his time at university and medical school, when he had yet to reach his adult bulk, and he remembered an old brown jacket from then that might suit the vampire. He'd had his own wardrobe of clothing in his home country as an adult; it wasn't a large wardrobe, but there were a few coats that might work for the vampire in that selection, too. When he'd come to England, he'd found that the clothes that were acceptable and stylish among the Dutch were not the same as those among the English, and he'd been required to purchase another set of clothing suitable for meeting with English patients and English social visits. And in addition to those three sets, he had a set of very simple and conservative clothes that he used for traveling. They were easy to clean with good, tight weaves, and the cut of them made sure he would not stick out in most countries. Not unfashionable, no, but also entirely unremarkable. Some of those items had seen heavy use during the hunt of the vampire itself, and he wondered with amusement if the beast would recognize or refuse to wear them!

The brown jacket had a terrible stain on the front of it that he'd forgotten. There had been an emergency, an accident, and he'd rushed to help. The man had lived, but the jacket had been sadly stained; the blood and filth had been scrubbed, but traces remained despite the best efforts of the laundress! No, it would be suitable for the vampire to work in if he set it to cleaning...but not for meeting with his guests. The clothes for England were simply too new, he had no intention of putting fine clothing on the beast without excellent reason. The clothes from the hunting, no, he wanted to bring up no unpleasant memories for the damaged beast.

The damaged beast which was humming softly and happily and tunelessly in his room...

Ah. This would work well. He'd found a coat from his first few years as a doctor. It had been large on him then, and would be positively baggy on the vampire. He rather thought the beast would appreciate that, though, considering how the shirt had looked on it and its reluctance to tuck in all that billowing fabric. The fabric was a deep brown, almost a black, and in good condition, with a wide stiff collar that could be turned up to keep out the cold. He wondered if the vampire would turn it up for concealment, and that thought was enough for him to reach a decision on the clothing. He very much wanted to see how the vampire would react. Did it only want clothing? Did it want to stay concealed? Would it try to hide in the clothing, or simply wear it normally?

Curious, he backed out of his closet, coat draped on his arm. The vampire was finishing the second bottle, but turned to watch him as the bottle was drained.

"I've found you a coat to wear. Comb your hair and tuck in your shirt, leave the bottles on the dresser when they are empty." He tossed the coat on the bed then casually walked to the dresser, lifting the hat off. He hadn't mentioned it to the vampire, and there was no reason for the beast to consider that the hat might be for it, after all... Watching it from the corner of his eye, he crossed back to the bed, adding casually, "The coat should go well with the new hat."

Red eyes widened a bit as the vampire drank the last bit of blood, and the bottle was lowered as he blinked in surprise at the clearly new hat and his Master. Keeping his face expressionless, Abraham added, "Of course, if you don't want to wear the hat in the house, I can return it to the store tomorrow." A startled gurgle as the vampire clearly began a protest, and Abraham grinned slightly, back to the beast. "We could always keep it just for you to wear if you leave the house." He turned, seeing the completely befuddled expression on the beast's face. He hadn't missed the flash of pleasure with that surprise; the vampire most definitely wanted the hat. And wasn't sure how to tell him that he wished to wear it, in the house, without offending him, and too confused by the whole level of care he was showing it to know what to do or say next. He took pity on the vampire then.

"The hat is for you to wear as you please. You've behaved exceptionally well, and I didn't wish to show you to my guests looking raggedy and filthy. For both those reasons, I'm giving you better clothing. For the time being, they are yours to wear or not wear as you choose."

Alucard blinked again, finally finding his voice. "Thank you, Master." He was clearly puzzled, happy with his change in circumstances, but definitely off-balance by the whole affair.

Abraham was tired of treating him like a dangerous beast. He'd blossomed so well when Abraham had gone downstairs to keep him company in the evening, had been so obedient and appreciative, it just didn't seem fitting to keep him dirty and chained and isolated. Unless and until the vampire's behavior changed, he'd give it a few privileges. Not many, but it was easier to take away a hat than to threaten the vampire with starvation or confinement in his coffin, and it wouldn't send the vampire into fearful hysterics, either.

"Comb your hair and finish dressing, Alucard. We'll be going to the office after this, and there are three more bottles of blood waiting for you. Fredrick and two other men will be there to meet with me. You are not to frighten or intimidate them, but may otherwise move freely about the room." Alucard nodded his understanding, dragging the comb through his hair, tucking in the shirt, and then shrugging into the coat.

It was as big on him as Abraham thought. And from the slightly fanged smile, Alucard was happy about that. Odd beast. The hat followed, and the large floppy brim brought a larger smile to the creature's face. It wasn't quite an American cowboy hat, but it was a traveler's hat, meant to keep the rain off the face and away from the collar no matter how hard it rained or how windy it might be. The red eyes glowed out from the shadow of the brim, bright with happiness, and the vampire obediently followed its Master out of the room and up to the office. 


	60. Chapter 60

Ch 60

Alucard trailed obediently behind his master to the study, thinking hard.

He was happy, and not sure why. Granted, he was clean and clothed and fed, but he was still a prisoner, still trapped by his own broken self in the company of the man who had broken him.

Yet he was content.

Confusion kept him silent as they walked, and Abraham paused outside the office with a few words for him.

"Remember, do not frighten them. I will give you the rest of your dinner, and you are to sit quietly somewhere in the room while I speak with my guests. Afterwards, you'll be returned to the basement."

Simple. He could do that. He was vaguely curious about the "guests" but not terribly. They were not Abraham, not part of the group of hunters that had bested him, not potential meals nor prey nor entertainment. Master had said they were hunters, but the only hunter who had ever even approached success was Abraham himself, and he had more than approached it, he'd succeeded. Besides, having Master here was reassuring. Even should the men attempt to hunt him, to attack, Master would stop them. They were neither prey nor threat. As a result, they were slightly more interesting than the furniture in the room, but only slightly.

He was far more interested in some time spent dreaming at the window and the rest of his meal.

x x x x x

Abraham was pleased to see that the men remained seated, though they were clearly tense and gripping various weapons when the vampire entered. Ready to react, but not threatening the beast, they merely watched cautiously as it trailed after Abraham. He moved to the desk, handing the vampire the three bottles of blood, and it took them silently before ghosting over to the window. He could see part of the face and the red eyes peering at him out of the shadow, but the beast remained quiet and pliable, ignoring his guests aside from a brief, slightly cautious initital look.

The vampire moved to the window, and then paused. The head tilted down, the vampire scanning the floor in the immediate vicinity for...something. Not seeing it, the head lifted as he took a single step towards the cluster of furniture and men...and stopped. Even without the ability to read its face, the vampire's body language was disappointed and disgruntled, shoulders dropping a bit, head tilted briefly, and the faintest of sighs as it turned to sit down on the window seat.

The bare window seat. And Abraham realized what it was that his monster had been looking for. It might be a terrible, powerful, undead, murdering monster, but it still wanted the cushion to sit on.

And it was obedient. With the men sitting on the furniture, going to retrieve the pillow would have startled them. Still in good spirits after the vampire's impeccable behavior, Abraham had to grin.

It wanted a cushion.

Shaking his head, he went to fetch it. Sean had been leaning against it but willingly gave it up, curious as to how the vampire would react. Alucard was still drinking the bottle, gazing idly out the window, as he returned with the pillow.

"Alucard?" The hat moved, the head tilted, and the peaceful white face was looking up at him. If there hadn't been a slight smear of blood on the side of its mouth, the vampire would have looked entirely harmless...but the blood gave lie to the appearance and showed the monster within.

"Yes, Master?" The voice was quiet, subdued, but more out of a state of relaxation than fatigue, Abraham quickly decided. He simply held out the pillow with a slight smile.

"You were wanting this? Here, you may take it." Without permission, he'd found the vampire would simply sit and wait, whether it was a bottle of food, a bucket of wash water, or whatever he had to give to it.

He wasn't mistaking the slight smile, and the vampire voiced quiet thanks before taking the pillow in its delicate white hands. Within moments, it was curled up on it, eyes once more gazing out the window. As Abraham watched, the vampire shuffled about a bit, tucking and rearranging itself and its clothing.

When it was done, there was not the slightest bit of skin or hair visible. The beast's feet were tucked underneath, the large coat reaching around it like a tent and entirely concealing it from neck to toes. As Abraham had thought it might, it had turned up the collar of the coat, then pulled the hat low around its head. Even its hands were pulled out of sight in the sleeves of the coat. With its shadowed face looking towards the window, there wasn't the least bit of the monster visible to the eye.

Such an odd beast. Were all vampires so prone to concealing their bodies, or was this a quirk limited to his own monster?

With a slight shrug, content that the monster was already lost in thoughts and watching the sky, he moved back to the other men. There was no moon visible tonight, but the beast seemed perfectly content to simply watch the scudding clouds and the bits and glimpses of the stars.

x x x x x x x

"He's so quiet." This was Danny's quiet observation, for all three men were simply staring at the monster. Even Fredrick had not seen it like this, his experience being limited to less than a dozen minutes the previous evening. He and Sean nodded agreement to Danny's comment, adding their own surprised observations. The vampire was, indeed, being quiet and obedient, but they did wonder why it was leaving them alone and ignoring them so utterly!

"I don't think he sees you as a threat, and he's not allowed to toy with you or eat you. Since he's so limited in how he may interact with you, I suspect he's chosen not to interact at all. As he spends almost all his waking time alone in an empty and windowless room, when he does have the chance to be outside or to access a window, he takes it. Those are the conclusions I've drawn, but I would like you to draw your own as well. Each of you has hunted or encountered vampires and other creatures before, and I want you to bring your own experiences into play as you observe him."

Abraham settled down into the remaining chair with a sigh, lifting his feet onto the ottoman and relaxing. Now that Alucard was being so well-behaved, unthreatening and obedient even beyond his own expectations, he could relax. He hadn't even needed to chastise it in the slightest for intimidating the men; as the pillow incident showed, it was being VERY careful to obey.

And a little voice in his head told him that it was only being so obedient so that he wouldn't expect whatever misbehavior it was planning on or already engaging in. It was a manipulative creature, and this entire set of behaviors might be no more than a ploy to throw him off track. Then again, it was so badly broken that it might be exactly what it appeared.

"Now, I haven't hunted much beyond vampires myself. Each of you has far more experience with other monsters than I." His blue eyes moved to each of the men, frank curiousity in them. "What else is out there, anyways?"

As the vampire curled by the window and quietly gazed outwards, the conversation turned to vampires and poltergeists and other assorted things that went bump in the night.

x x x x x

He had started out sky-watching, true enough. But part of the joy of watching the Moon was its predictability, and the unchanging sky held its own reassuring steadfastness. Tonight, the clouds and the wind conspired to keep him from simply gazing, and he found himself thinking, instead.

Why was he reacting like this to Abraham? He was terrified of displeasing him, yes, for the man could punish him and he feared and dreaded that. He'd already experienced pain and privation, and while the lack of the bonds meant a welcome relief from the restrictions and the agony they could cause, he had no intention of courting more punishment. He understood why he didn't want to make the man angry.

And he knew why he didn't want to leave. He simply couldn't. On his own, he'd be a terrified rabbit. Abraham would protect him.

But...he didn't want to leave. Was it habit, that made this prison seem like home, seem safe, seem welcoming? It was a bare room downstairs, with silver and Host and the remains of those annoying wards, with nothing but his coffin and his soil that was mixed into the bricks. But...it was safe. Secure. Words he'd never needed before, never wanted...but then, who would have come to his isolated castle? Even the closest village was a rugged hour's hike through the mountains, and that handful of residents were far too terrified to come close.

He had not been vulnerable for a very, very long time. Was this why he wanted to stay? The place...it felt odd. The English had a word that he'd puzzled over. Home. It wasn't house, or dwelling, but a deeper word. It implied a sense of belonging. Home.

This place...felt like Home. There were no wolves, no mountains...nothing that he knew or was accustomed to. And yet, if given the opportunity to return to his castle with Abraham, he'd have hesitated.

It was peaceful here. It felt...right. Except for those damn wards and the silver, he'd really have had no complaints. And the pillow. He hadn't had a pillow since he was mortal. It was just one of the many minor comforts that Abraham had provided for him.

And so his mind was circling back to Abraham. What was this man? What did he want? He had given the vampire clean clothes, not rags. Not a scrubbing with cold water and yellow soap, but a proper hot bath with his own soaps. He'd even given the vampire privacy, respect. The hat, belt, and slippers were unmistakably new, purchased simply for the vampire's sole use. And Master had understood, too, that he wanted clothes, layers, the protection they offered. And had provided it unquestioningly. The man was sharply intelligent and observant, and indulgent enough to have picked the hat and coat that provided more concealment and cover than most.

Even now...Master had seen him look for the cushion, realized what had happened, and brought it to him. Master was taking care of him...and his own instincts were somehow pushing him to care for the man, to obey him, to be pleased when Abraham was pleased.

He felt like a damned spaniel.

And that would have irritated him, except that he knew that Abraham was pleased with him.

A half-hearted silent growl at himself, and the quietest of irritated huffs. This was NOT HIM. He was not some sort of obedient lapdog. He was a wolf, a hunter, a monster, a power of his own. And now, he was acting like some sort of newly-turned child.

His mind froze and red eyes widened.

He WAS acting like a newly-turned child. Eager to please. Caring for Abraham though not sure why. Wanting to stay with the man. Frightened of him, yet feeling safe in his presence.

Those reactions kept a child safe, controlled, and close by their maker until they matured and gained their own self-control. The turning could be traumatic for them, and their instincts were sometimes violent. Others became overly timid, withdrawn. Both reactions were protective; the first to scare away possible danger, the second to keep away from the danger. He'd seen it again and again in his own children. No matter how the change affected them, they would cling to him. When he told them what to do and not to do, they obeyed. A word of praise from him and their entire night was full of happiness. Tell them that he was leaving and would be back in a few days, and their world had collapsed.

The stage was always temporary. As the child learned to hunt, to use its own abilities, to protect itself, feed itself, make its own decisions, to interact with the other members of his small family, the spaniel-like neediness passed. There was always the urge to obey him; no vampire willingly disobeyed its maker. Argue with, complain, fight, shout, snarl, and whine, yes, if they didn't want to obey. But it was always known that they would obey.

And he'd been traumatized. His power stripped and restrained, his mind broken. Weak, helpless...and he had reverted to a vampiric child. And his instincts had chosen Abraham as his leader.

It...explained so much. Shell-shocked at this revelation, he simply stared out the window, eyes glazed with shock.

He was even more shocked to find he didn't truly mind this. He was broken. Abraham had demonstrated that he would protect them. If he was in the role of "child" as he healed, well, Abraham was a worthy "maker." Fighting instinct would be foolish and do no good. That instinct had caused him to behave in a way that made Abraham want to protect him instead of hurt him. And he wanted Abraham to accept him as part of his household, not merely the property that the man had initially declared him to be.

So...if he was to be accepted, he'd need to make a place for himself. Abraham wouldn't feed him and keep him safe forever out of nothing but the kindness of his heart. Actually, the man might. He was, above all, a GOOD man. But better, yes, if he could prove himself useful to the man as something more than an ornament or a research subject.

With this in mind, he began to listen to the conversation. The sky outside was less and less of a draw, no animals moving about the yard, the strong wind keeping the bats and owls away and hidden on the lee side of the house, the clouds too thick and frequent to sky watch. He really had no draw to stay at the window. And he wanted to be close to Abraham.

His jaw dropped in a small, pointy grin as he realized the ridiculousness, and the inescapability, of the powerful Dracula broken to the point that he assumed the role of a child. And to a man at that, not even another vampire.

But it was the same man that had caught and broken Dracula, and hunted and killed lesser vampires.

The wound to his pride, what pride was left, was only minor.

And he still wanted to be close to Abraham.

If he sat with Abraham between him and the men, likely they wouldn't be frightened. It was approaching them that would spook the men. And so he tilted his head, turning just enough to see them out of the corner of his eyes, and waited for an opportunity to move closer to Abraham, without frightening anyone. Humans were not, as a rule, observant. This opportunity should come quickly. 


	61. Chapter 61

Ch 61

"BLOODY HELL!" yelped Sean, rising only partially to his feet by the fire before his frightened cry, then falling backwards and scrambling away, eyes huge and looking to the floor by Abraham. Within a blink, Fredrick and Danny were out of their chairs as well, Fredrick had his gun out, and Danny was pulling a cross from his shirt.

Abraham, in turn, had immediately twisted to see what was beside him, one hand going to the handle of his gun...

Only to meet an abashed and worried pair of red eyes. Alucard had quietly curled up beside his chair at some point that evening, and had just been noticed.

With a sigh, Abraham took his hand from his gun. He couldn't be too upset with the vampire, it was only doing what it did for a portion of every night when in his office. It had come to sit beside him. But he wasn't in his regular chair, and there were guests, very upset guests, though the men were calming from their shock and surprise as he himself didn't react to the vampire.

"What do you want, Alucard?" Not blood, for there were still two unopened bottles by the window. The beast's appetite appeared to have diminished to its normal levels. Did it want to go outside?

x x x x x

Alucard had tensed when the man yelled in fear and surprise. Damn! He hadn't meant to scare them at all! Abraham would be furious...and a glance up showed Master looking down at him, a slight frown on the man's face. But the voice was calm, and the frown more puzzled than angry, and he felt his throat unclench, allowing him to give his quiet answer.

"Only to sit here." A bit embarrassed and a touch worried, he added his apology. "I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten anyone, Master."

He truly hadn't. He'd simply waited until they were all distracted by one of the men at the fireplace and looking away, and moved to settle himself by Master. Simply sitting down quietly should not have frightened them when they saw him, or so he had thought. He had clearly thought wrong, but Master understood.

When Abraham told him that he could stay as long as he was quiet and did not move about, he couldn't keep the slight smile off his face. It was nicely shadowed beside the chair, the bulk of Master between the visitors and himself, keeping him concealed. And with nothing to watch at the window, he would rather have the safety and reassurance and companionship of Master's presence than watch the clouds and empty yard. A few moments, and he was settled, concealed comfortably under this clothing and behind the furniture.

Childish, simple, and foolish, but he was content. He'd only have been embarassed if he'd any pride left to speak of, and he had the wisdom, at least, to recognize that he no longer had a reason to be proud. He was Abraham's foolish, broken, mad pet monster, and no more. Not now. Not yet.

x x x x x

He'd gone to add another log to the fire, turned around, and...two red eyes had been glowing at him from behind Abraham's shoulder.

He'd thought the monster was going to eat them all.

Sean felt more than a bit silly when they'd all settled back down. The vampire had curled up against the side of Van Helsing's chair, body tucked away under the coat, head down, hat and collar concealing it, and simply...resting. Quiet.

Entirely unthreatening. Unaggressive. And ignoring them utterly. It was so entirely different in its behavior from the vampires they'd heard of or the one they had hunted.

No, he wouldn't be in this house without a gun and silver bullets at hand, a rosary on his neck, and garlic in his pockets. But it was surprisingly easy to ignore the vampire and go back to their discussion of the imps they had hunted out on the moors. 


	62. Chapter 62

Ch 62

It was comfortable here.

The humans had gone back to talking about their hunts, and he listened with half an ear to what they were saying in case it should suddenly involve him. Other than their own occasionally wildly inaccurate "knowledge" of the monsters they hunted, the conversation was uninteresting.

The fire was warm, unpleasant to a beast of the dark and cold, but the clothing layers provided an insulation against it. The outer layer was undoubtedly being heated, but the air inside remained cool and dark. The bulk of Master and chair lay between him and the flames, keeping him in the shadow. Leaning on the rough tapestry surface of the chair, he mused on his situation. Master wasn't the least bit angry with him, the other men had settled down, and he could relax in Abraham's company and merely think.

He did wish he'd brought the cushion with him, but this was certainly acceptable.

If he'd been downstairs, he'd have been working on the wards or worrying. Now, fed, comfortable, and somewhat entertained by the idiots babbling to his Master, he sat to ponder.

Abraham was a human. He knew what a vampire was and could do. He'd seen Dracula turning Lucy, controlling Mina. He'd fought the monster with his mind, body, and soul, finally defeating it in the mountains of Romania. His knowledge of how to do so had come from years of watching the predations of vampires and their habits. He finally had a powerful vampire, broken and helpless...

And he took care of it.

Why? What was in this for Abraham? He was a good man, yes, but he was a Man. Man was the prey of Vampires. Alucard's own vampiric responses were no mystery to him, not anymore. But why did Abraham concern himself with a vampire's well-being? At first it might have been to aid in recovery, so that he'd be useful to the man sooner.

But his recovery had nothing to do with Abraham fetching him a cushion.

Clothes, that was understandable. But the belt, hat, and slippers were new, not old and used remnants. A frayed cord for a belt, bare feet and bare head, that would have been simple and straightforward.

Abraham didn't appear to be trying to seduce him at all. The man was shockingingly uninterested, though most humans exposed to a vampire for this length of time would be experiencing a substantial amount of lust and carnal thoughts. The cossetting and such...it might have been understandable if the man was viewing him as a bedmate and preferred them willing, or at least not damaged. But that didn't appear to be it.

And that priest had been the same way. There was no bond between himself and the priest, no, but he felt the same odd emotions towards that human as well. Vampires lives spare and predatory lives, their emotions fueled by the joy of the hunt, lust, pleasure, and need. There was some enjoyment of finer things, he was no stranger to the arts. But he had not experienced these emotions before, and wasn't certain what was happening. He understood his interactions with other vampires, potential vampires, and prey.

Abraham and Father Jacobs were none of those. Abraham was taking on the role of another vampire, true. But there was still more there.

Respect, yes. The neediness and eagerness to please triggered by his condition, yes. Paranoia that Abraham might be hurt or die, also caused by his child-like state.

But there was something else there. It was either a vampiric emotion he'd never encountered in centuries, or something new, some remnant of his human self. After so many centuries, it was hard to label it.

He liked Abraham, yes. The emotion wasn't unpleasant, just frustratingly unknown and unpredictable. Undoubtedly he'd sort it out in time, he'd only just become truly aware of it. It wasn't urging him to kill Abraham, much the opposite, and so he'd simply let it be for now.

And now...how to keep Abraham's mind fixed on him as something to take care of, and not an enemy or research subject. He had no role here, not unless Abraham allowed him to eat unwelcome visitors, and he doubted that would happen. He certainly wasn't the least bit suited to the average human job, and the last bit of pride in him rebelled at it. No cooking or stable duties, no! And Abraham could hire a human for any of those jobs that needed to be done. He could guard Abraham, but the man was well able to take care of himself outside of disastrous flukes such as his broken leg. He could guard the house, keep it safe at night from thieves and miscreants, especially if he'd removed the warding from the cell. Abraham would appreciate that, he'd be quite good at it.

Then again, from what he had seen of the house, it was already quite secure. It might be years or decades before an enterprising thief attempted a robbery.

As he listened to the men ramble, he realized an important factor that he'd not recognized yet. He did have a role, of sorts, that he already filled. Abraham used him to gain knowledge of the supernatural.

He'd hunted all through his own country and the surrounding lands, hunted other creatures for the joy of it. He was a minor sorcerer in his own right, had conjured up a minor demon or imp of his own from time to time. He had centuries of knowledge, some of it quite personal, of the monsters these men were discussing and hunting.

And their knowledge was laughable. For every fact stated with absolute certainty, they'd state at least one glaring lie with equally obvious certainty. If Abraham tried to go up against something powerful with this bunch of fools' advice, he'd go down, and quickly.

Perhaps he did have something to offer to the man after all. Something far more useful than his body as a research subject.

One did not reach his age by rushing into anything. He'd consider this a few more days. Perhaps another solution, better, would arrive.

For now, he had no more headway on the puzzle that was his relationship with Abraham and the emotions and reasons for their mutual actions. But he felt less useless, less at risk of being discarded, had gained a potential purpose and use.

And so he relaxed again, leaning comfortably against the chair, listening to the fire crackle.

It was a pleasant evening. No, it was a wonderful evening. Bath, clothes, meal, company... It would be an even more wonderful evening if Abraham would let him eat one of those annoying bastards. Even so...he was content. 


	63. Chapter 63

ch 63

He hadn't minded when it when Abraham had announced it was time for him to return to the basement. While he'd enjoyed his time with Master, relaxing near him, the constant yapping of those fools had been annoying, and the deep quiet of his room appealed to him. The pressure and itch of the door wards were as annoying as the presence of the men, but at least he could do something about those. And planned to.

And so when Abraham ordered him downstairs, he scooped up an extra bottle and followed meekly behind him. He was well aware of the three pairs of eyes following him and fought the urge to flash a pointy grin at them, but Master had said that he was not to frighten them. He'd obey, but it took the fun out of being around mortals. Abraham opened his door and he glided silently into his room, planning to have a seat by the coffin and begin working on the door wards.

"Goodnight, Alucard. I'll be down to retrieve you again tomorrow sometime after sunset."

Had Master actually wished him a goodnight? No orders, no instructions, just a simple human pleasantry? His startled red eyes met the calm blue ones of Van Helsing, and his head tilted slightly in puzzled startlement which quickly faded into a pleased pleasure. His own smile curved his mouth up, and he responded with a "Goodnight, Master."

Abraham left him to his own devices then, and he sank down by his coffin, bemused at this turn of events. Abraham wasn't treating him quite like a human, no, but not quite like a prisoner, either. He was far less worried about his future now, truly. Abraham simply wasn't going to abuse him in any of the ways he had feared, not unless something went terribly wrong. And he'd be obedient to the man, at least while he was recovering.

One of the only things bothering him at the moment was those bedamned wards, and he had several hours of night left to work on them. Taking a sip from the bottle, he eyed them closely, spotting a weak area where he could begin. Settling back comfortably, he closed his eyes, reached out with his mind, and began to dismantle them.

By morning, most of one side was faded and flickering, and the other side had developed a few dim spots, slowly spreading like a bloodstain through cloth as the wards failed. He could nearly pass through the one side already, and the second would require an additional night to reach the level of the first. Not tomorrow night, no, but within a handful of days at most he'd be free to come and go as he pleased, or relax in silence in his cell. He doubted he'd want to come and go, for Abraham was unlikely to offer him the opportunity. But in an emergency, he could leave. And in the meantime, he'd have silence and peace in his room.

x x x x x x x

"You'd planned to use him as a research subject, correct?" Afternoon had arrived, and the four of them were awake and discussing the vampire. Daniel had changed from worry and fear about how to contain and control it to a curiousity about it and a focus on its possibly usefulness. The vampire's apparent timidity and obvious obedience had lessened their fear; everyone was ready to wait until the arrival of an expert on containment spells and wardings in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, as none of them had any ability to create any sort of portable wards, they'd be leaving the vampire contained downstairs or in Abraham's company. If he began to rebel, then he'd spend the remainder of the wait contained in the room with no opportunities to leave it.

And as they had a captive vampire at their disposal, their minds had begun to work in much the same direction as Abraham's. However, no one wanted an angry vampire after them, and so the current conversation had turned to how to use him. Abraham had already shared much of the lore he'd learned from his new acquisition, and now they wanted to study the beast itself.

"Well, we can't use him as a research subject directly. Not without bindings. I don't know if he'd hurt you, but I don't think he'd hesitate to bite me." Fredrick's contribution was accompanied by a shudder as he remembered the intimidating beast he'd encountered the first time he'd met it while it was awake. The other two had been spared such a scene as Abraham had warned the monster off them before it had the chance to frighten them.

"Blood!" Sean's excited blurt drew all eyes to him. "His blood. We can't test it on him, but could we draw out a sample of his blood while he sleeps? We could test how it reacts to sunlight, to garlic, to silver, without directly injuring the vampire beyond a needle prick."

Abraham's own eyes lit up at the prospect. "This has potential, yes! I don't know if the needle would wake him in the day while in his coffin, and I'll need to warn him that we'll be doing so. I don't want him waking up frightened and aware that we were handling him while he was helpless and not understanding what was happening. He's far too skittish. But if he knows, we can ask him afterwards to make certain the draws aren't affecting his health." A grin at the men. "I doubt a single person has ever had a chance to work with vampiric tissue. Ever. Or had a willing vampire to donate samples. It isn't going to be the same as dealing with the vampire itself, but I am very anxious to get a slide of his cells under a microscope!"

The conversation became excited, the men taking notes and plotting out various research angles. How much blood could they take? If he had no blood pressure, how could they draw it out? How fast would he heal? Should they feed him while unconscious, or simply give him extra once he woke? Would the blood turn to dust and ash once withdrawn? Sean and Danny voiced this concern, but Abraham and Fredrick quickly reassured them that it was not likely.

"Even a vampire that is dusted leaves its blood behind." Fredrick's pedantic tones, the scholar in him rising to the surface, detailed the effect of a bleeding vampire. "The blood spills and spreads like a man's blood, and even the death of the vampire itself leaves it behind. However, it doesn't last past dawn. At sunrise, the blood spilled from the vampire will vanish as dust. It's not something I have observed myself, but the same information came from two separate sources." At the inquisitive looks of the others, he continued. "I'd suspected a vampire in the area and was contacting and questioning every neutral or benign creature and part-human I could contact. There weren't many, perhaps five or six. Two of them knew enough about vampires to give me the information I needed. I worried about contagion from spilled blood, for if I butchered the vampire and removed the head, that would spill all the blood from its body. What would happen if I left that blood?" A smile. "As it happens, not only was the blood spill not terribly dangerous, but the danger was over by dawn. Had I gotten the blood into by body somehow, splashed across my face or into a wound, perhaps, I could have been ghouled. But mere contact with it isn't a hazard, and animals are immune to the vampire's blood." A slightly larger smile. "And it was all moot. I never faced them directly, but found the vampire and its offspring and set the building ablaze! I never thought I'd be using that information after all."

Abraham nodded, pen moving across the page as he took more notes. "If the blood is contagious...we'll need masks. Goggles. I don't want a splash of blood landing in someone's eye. Whether or not that would be enough to ghoul you, I'd rather not find out." Notes continued to be taken, and Abraham compiled a list of items they would need for the testing. Much he already had, but additional testtubes and racks and holders would be needed as there would be at least four people working in his cramped lab, not merely himself.

Cramped lab. Yes, very cramped. And with a window, too.

Dammit, they'd have to set up in the other rooms of the basement!

By nightfall, they'd moved several small tables and a few boxes of equipment downstairs. The room was not the cleanest, but they'd done their best with a few buckets of soap and stiff-bristled brushes to get the worst of it off. The layer of soot from the burning lantern oil washed off easily, but the grime was more difficult; they'd have to set up in a single room to start, then clean the others as time permitted. A glance at his pocketwatch had Abraham herding the others upstairs. He'd be there when Alucard awoke, but the vampire was simply too skittish to have him half-aware and so close to his guests! 


	64. Chapter 64

Ch 64

Alucard had appeared puzzled to wake, and find Abraham sitting quietly in a chair by the door. As the sun had not yet set, Abraham had been able to remove the vampire from its coffin before waking, and as a result, it had been a calm, slow, langorous process. Even now, sleepy red eyes blinked at him, the vampire still waking fully from its daylight coma. Once the eyes had cleared and focused on him, Abraham rose, bringing the beast its first two bottles.

"I am here because I plan to speak with you away from the others." Abraham's calm voice answered the questions he saw in his vampire's eyes, but triggered fear and worry. He continued quickly, calming the beast before panic could begin to build. "I wanted an honest answer from you, away from them, without their reactions influencing you or your response angering them." Yes, Alucard was calmer now, but though he had to be hungry, the unopened bottle remained in his hand while his eyes remained on Abraham's face. Paranoid beast, though he had cause to be! With this in mind, Abraham continued. "You have nothing to worry about with these questions, Alucard. I will not be angry with you, and we will go upstairs afterwards." Truthfully, whether or not Alucard agreed to the blood-draw was moot. Unless the vampire became violently upset and Abraham had to fear losing control of him, the beast would be donating his vital fluids to their vampiric research. But he didn't know if the vampire would be upset, and if it was upset, having the others here might spook it into the corner and hissing.

In the worst possible case, it might even attack one of the men. It was simply too unpredictable and too easily frightened.

And if it spooked, the men might well spook, and the vampire could be shot yet again. No, simpler and safer for all for Abraham to speak to the vampire in private. Red eyes calmed at his own continued calm, and the vampire twisted the lid off, taking its first long drink. Calmer, more relaxed, it was able to speak. Quiet still and worried, but its voice was clear.

"What did you want to ask me, Master?"

"During the day, while you are asleep and unaware of the process, I'd like to draw off some of your blood to study it. I will be able to learn more about vampires, you'll be undamaged and unfrightened."

Red eyes widened, and the vampire stared at him.

x x x x x x

Master WAS going to use him as a research subject. A chill of fear ran up his spine, but he fought it away, concentrating more on what Master had actually said. Undamaged, unfrightened. Unaware...scary to have humans near him while helpless. No, not humans. MASTER said he would like to draw the blood. Not let others. Master. Master could be near him while he slept, Master was...Master. He did not object to that, no.

So...draw his blood? How? He would have to ask. But Master said it would not damage him. And it wouldn't, not likely. He'd lost blood before, with no effects other than a short-term wound and a bit of extra hunger. Even if Master cut him deeply to remove the blood...he might wake, yes. But if Master fed him quickly...asleep. He'd fall back asleep.

Scary, that Master wished to study him. But he had no choice, not really. He was Abraham's to do with as the man pleased, and lucky him that Master's pleasure was only to take some of his blood during the day, while he slept.

And...he himself was curious. He knew much of what injured him and did not, but not details, really. Abraham had once asked him if the stakes used on vampires had to be of wood, and if specific woods worked best, and he truly hadn't known. Had he been released, had he been healed, he might well have returned to his castle and set about answering those questions himself. He had no compunctions about taking some of the weaker, trash vampires littering his lands and using them as his own research subjects.

He was not released, and he was far from healed. And he was curious. Worried, but curious. Cautious, he asked Master, wondering and fearing the possible answers, but hopeful that it would be simple instead.

"How...how will you take my blood, Master?"

x x x x

He was delighted. The vampire had been frightened, yes, but emotions from fear to resignation to curiousity and a myriad of less-definable, less-identifiable ones had raced across its face. And now, it wanted to know how the blood would be taken. Apparently it had accepted this as a fact, that it would happen, but needed a bit of reassurance. Abraham would provide that.

"You have no heartbeat, not when you are sleeping, and I don't think you have one when awake." Odd, that, but he'd never thought to check, had always assumed the beast was entirely dead. But it was an unconfirmed fact, and needed to be tested. "I don't think you'll have any blood pressure. Simply using a needle in your veins would not bleed you. A plunger in the syringe to pull your blood out might work, or might collapse the vein." The vampire looked frightened, and Abraham reassured him quickly. "Collapsed veins are temporary. If we pull out the blood, then it will be flat." Comprehension lit the red eyes and the beast relaxed. "What I suspect we'll have to so is lower some part of your body, perhaps a leg, so that the blood runs down to your foot. Then I'll put a needle in a vein of your leg, and catch the blood in a bottle or similar. That's all, a single needle hole, no more." Red eyes still watched him cautiously, though with much less fear. "Then we'll place your leg back in your coffin. I don't want to remove you from the coffin entirely, for you'll wake up. And I'd rather you slept the entire day through. If you are faded, if I can tell that you have lost blood, I can feed you while you sleep. Or I can give you extra blood when you wake. If you look very damaged, I will definitely feed you while you sleep so that you wake healthy."

Reassured, the vampire settled completely, returning to drinking his meal during the last of Abraham's explanation. First bottle done, it placed it on the floor, looking up at Abraham with tentative, somewhat beseeching red eyes. "And...will you tell me what you learn? And what if...what if it is painful?" The vampire looked nervous. "I have spilled blood and not noticed what happened to it, but...what if I feel what is done to it, done to me?"

Abraham looked gently at the beast. It deserved any pain it experienced, it was a monster...no. Dracula had been a terrible monster, and Dracula would have deserved pain. This, this was his Alucard. And he'd realized that he couldn't torture it as blithely as he could have Dracula. "If it is too painful, we stop." The beast would be able to bear some minor discomfort, but actual pain, Abraham drew the line at. He would not torture his monster. "If it is only uncomfortable, we may continue. But you will not be starved or in anything more severe than mere discomfort."

Reassured yet again, the vampire nodded and gave his Master a quiet, "Thank you." Abraham wasn't certain exactly why he was being thanked, but knew that his monster was likely expressing appreciation for his concern. As well it should. Smiling gently at the beast, he waited for it to finish its second bottle.

"The other bottles are waiting for you upstairs in my office. Once again, do not deliberately frighten the others." He moved to the door, seeing the vampire rise smoothly from the corner of his eyes and move immediately to stand behind him.

It was so obedient. He wouldn't hurt it while they tested its tissues, no. But he was anxious and curious to begin finding out what he could about vampires and their weaknesses and characteristics! 


	65. Chapter 65

ch 65

Sean watched as the elegant beast ghosted into the office behind Van Helsing. He had never had the opportunity to observe a vampire before without either planning on how to kill it or being in a desperate fight for his own life. The vampire might be cowed and broken, but it was still a vampire, and it was breathtaking, a bit of animated art. Not living art, no, but beautiful, from the perfectly defined mouth and high cheekbones to the panther-like prowl of its walk. As it walked behind Abraham, it noticed his own regard; deep red eyes flicked briefly to him, and with a few longer strides, it placed the less-lovely bulk of Abraham between itself and its observer.

It was so unbelievably timid, so vulnerable, so different from any creature he'd ever encountered. As it settled into the windowseat, those red eyes kept flicking back towards him, and he was aware of one last, lingering, nervous glance before the vampire finished concealing itself under its bulky clothes and wide-brimmed hat.

But concealed it was, nothing of its form or grace visible, the angle of the hat indicating that it was watching the sky. As Abraham approached the group of men, Sean continued to watch the beast, seeing the shoulders slump in relaxation as it became enthralled by its Moon-watching. He wondered what expression might be on that face, but shook the thought from his head.

The creature might be fascinating in its danger and its beauty, but he was not here to stare at the captive monster. He was here to meet with Abraham, offer his own ideas on what the beast was doing and why, and see if the group of them could come up with ways to contain it permanently. And, for now, ways to study it and learn from it.

x x x x x

"He'll let us take his blood." Abraham's simple statement was met with grins from the other men. "Granted, he's worried about being hurt, but as long as we're careful and keep him asleep and fed, I don't think there will be a problem. Later, I'd like to have him move those heavier tables downstairs and clean the room adjacent to the one we'll be using first." He settled calmly into his own chair, and the nightly discussion began anew.

"He'll move furniture?" Danny looked askance at the creature. It was an elegant hunter, no doubt, and he had a difficult time picturing it doing something so mundane as moving those cumbersome trestle tables into the basement.

"Oh, yes, if I tell him to. He might not enjoy it, but he'll do as he's told." Abraham's smile was verging on smug. "And he's quite strong enough to easily move something that would strain a pair of us! Besides, I suspect he's bored in his cell. This, at least, will give him something to do. And I would like each of you to observe his behavior, to share what conclusions you may reach after a few hours in his company."

The talk veered off into how other creatures had behaved, and Fredrick's amused tale of the housekeeping brownies' determined patience with a minor flood had them laughing. Abraham would have enjoyed seeing a carefully-erected, ever-growing acorn-and-mud wall. Fredrick swore that over the week, they'd eventually created a wall nearly knee-high, and kept the kitchen dry and spotless though the rest of the house was a wet and muddy mess!

Within an hour or so, Fredrick's startled response caused Abraham to look by his chair. Alucard had finally tired of his Moon-gazing and joined them again, clearly intending to settle in at the side of the chair. Well, not tonight.

"Now that you've done your relaxing, vampire, it's time for you to earn your keep." Worried red eyes stared up at him, the vampire tensing and sinking lower to the floor. Bloody hell, what did the poor thing think he meant by "earning your keep", anyways? Abraham hasted to finish the explanation, surprised by the immediate fear response and the extremity of the reaction. The beast was already starting to pant! "You'll be helping carry tables downstairs and working to set up a laboratory in the basement. If we work with your blood and the sunlight hits it, it is going to turn to dust." And he only hoped that it actually took the light of dawn, and not just the time itself, to turn vampire blood to dust! "So we're using a few of the other downstairs rooms." The vampire relaxed, breath easing out in a long, shuddering sigh. "Your room isn't going to be used, obviously, but the other ones are filthy and bare. You'll be helping set them up."

The gentle voice and explanation did much to ease the vampire's clear fear. Perhaps later, when it had recovered more, Abraham might find out why such an innocuous statement frightened it so. But for now, it was time to have the vampire move furniture.

x x x x x

Alucard hadn't missed the heated regard of the human. Not lust, no, but still far more attention was being directed towards him than he was comfortable with. And it wasn't a wary glance either, but a type he'd learned to fear as a child among the Turks. He'd seen it on the faces of various humans over the years before he'd learned to limit his interaction with them or keep them terrified of him.

This human wasn't terrified of him. His long look had made that abundantly clear.

And when he'd joined the group of men, and Abraham had told him that he'd be "earning his keep", well, combined with the reaction of that man, he'd feared that his time for recovery was over. They weren't drawing his blood until daytime, so what use would they have for him at night? That man clearly had a use for him.

Moving furniture. It was such a relief to know he'd only be moving furniture that he almost stumbled as he followed Abraham down the corridor to what was, apparently, a half-dismantled lab.

Relieved as he might be, he didn't miss the looks that the man, "Sean", was directing his way. He kept his collar up, his hat down, and refused to leave Abraham's side until the men had all gone upstairs to their beds.

x x x x

The vampire had been surprisingly helpful. Tense around the other men, a definite change in its behavior, and Abraham wondered why. Before, it had simply ignored them unless startled. Tonight, it was edgy, hovering at his side, and following him about, never more than arms-length away. Pity had kept him from ordering the vampire out of the room when moving anything; if it was carrying a table, he followed along with it, and the vampire was reassured enough to continue to be its obedient self.

And then a cotter pin for the wheel on the hand-cranked generator had slipped off, bouncing and clattering somewhere in the room. No gas lights burned downstairs, only lanterns, and the floor was still dirty. With a curse, Abraham began hunting for the missing piece, only to have a thin white hand briefly touch his arm, pulling his attention back to his monster.

Red eyes had looked into his own for a brief moment while the vampire quietly spoke, gesturing to the dark corner across the room. "The piece...it is over there."

"You can see it?" The metal bit was tiny, the room was dark, and even in broad daylight on a clean floor that cotter pin should not be visible from this far away! Yet the vampire's nod indicated that it could, indeed, see the pin. A few long strides across the room, and it swooped down, snatching its metallic prey off the floor, then returning to present it to Abraham with a small and smug smile.

He couldn't help but smile back. It was such a silly beast, so proud of itself for being able to help him. And just how good was its eyesight? He'd have to find out. He knew it could see well in the dark, but apparently its vision was also more acute than a humans.

Dawn was still a few hours away, but the men were done. Sean was yawning, Danny had nearly fallen asleep leaning on the doorframe, and even Fredrick was looking tired. Abraham was no better off, though they'd all been so fascinated by the vampire's behavior and by watching it work that they'd put off going to their own beds as late as possible. But there was a limit to their bodies' ability to remain awake, and they had reached it.

Alucard seemed relieved to be able to return to his cell. He'd been tense the entire night, and when the other three had audibly gone up the stairs and out of the basement, Abraham wasn't surprised to see the beast's shoulders fall. He'd been so tense they'd nearly been up to his ears. The vampire took the pair of proferred blood bottles with a visible fatigue, the loss of stress ennervating him, and shuffled off to sit by his coffin.

A glance through the window before going upstairs revealed the beast still slumped by his coffin, eyes closed, unopened bottle on the floor with a limp hand barely curled about it. No doubt the beast was tired. Well, he'd have to be certain to wake long enough to move it to its coffin at dawn. Alucard had most definitely earned it!

x x x x x x

The labs were done, at least enough that the men would be able to start analyzing his blood tomorrow. He had enjoyed the time with Master, enjoyed being useful, been curious about the machines and the various types of apparatus that had been present, appreciated the chance to move about and exercise himself.

But he hadn't appreciated the other men. He just wished Master would let him frighten them. It would help so much. It had been nerve-wracking to have them staring at him, watching him. But no harm had come to him, not with Abraham there, and so he'd been able to ignore them somewhat, working to please Master.

And now, with a third bottle of blood in him and the chance to rest and recover from the night, he was eyeing those wards. He would have far less time tonight to alter them than he'd expected...but he was delighted to find that it would still be enough time!

They were strong wards, yes, each one connected to and supporting another, far stronger together than they would have been if applied singly. But this strength was also their weakness, for weakening one caused it to pull strength from the wards it had supported. And the holes where he had weakened a few bonds the night before had grown.

Substantially.

Those dark, faded spots were now the majority of the wall, the last few joins of remaining linked wards glowing individually, no longer parts of a larger whole. And those glows were dimmer than they should be as the power bled away, returning to the earth and air. The side he had worked on first was almost entirely bare. One small ward glowed under a window, and its light was dim and flickering.

That ward would be dead by morning. The others would be gone by tomorrow night, either entirely or down to a few small traces that would do little or nothing to stop him.

Even tonight, with a bit of focus and effort, he could stroll through half that wall. And without the constant pressure and itch and almost-audible whine of those wards, he would be capable of that focus, too.

Alucard curled up to sleep, blanket concealing him, pillow cushioning his cheeks, and a smirk on his face.

He'd be happier if he could get the silver removed, but that was easy to ignore.

He was no longer contained. Master wished him to stay, and he would. Angering Abraham would be impossibly foolish. But if he truly needed to leave, it would be far faster now to simply move through the wall instead of the slow transformation and movement of his mist form!

He pushed the smirk off his face as he felt the sun rise. Master would wonder why he was smiling, after all. But it was hard to keep it away, he was so proud and so relieved. Reminding himself of the blood-draw that was to occur today chased the smirk away, leaving the faintest of worried frowns on his face for Abraham to find. 


	66. Chapter 66

ch 66

The needle slipped through the white skin, pausing briefly as it encountered the tough, solid surface of the vein, then sliding in. Blood dripped out slowly, very gradually filling the small tube at the end of the needle.

With a frown, Abraham motioned Fredrick closer. "Take this, would you? I'm going to try lifting his body to increase the pressure." Switching positions with the man, he left Fredrick kneeling by the pale ankle and moved to Alucard's head. The vampire slept away in his coffin, eyes closed and face utterly relaxed. His leg had been lifted out of the coffin, draped awkwardly over the edge, foot dangling, and he'd been oblivious the entire time.

About to lift the vampire, Abraham paused. He wasn't entirely sure how much of the vampire needed to be in the coffin for it to remain asleep. And if he lifted its torso out, and the vampire woke...it would panic. If it didn't panic because he was holding it, it would panic at being in the coffin. At best, it would rip out the needle as it tried to escape. At worst, Fredrick could be injured along with Alucard. So he paused, and thought...and moved to lift the other leg high in the air.

The vampire looked ridiculous, top portion relaxed and asleep, bottom portion with one leg hiked high in the air, the other draped over the edge. But with the leg lifted, the blood in it would hopefully drain into the vampire's body, and then down and into the foot.

"Yes!" Fredrick's quiet exclamation of glee resulted in Abraham's head craning about the coffin, trying to see over the opposite side and down to the foot. It was futile, but Fredrick described what was happening. "It's working, Abraham. Not a lot of pressure, but a steady weak stream instead of mere drips. We'll have the tube filled in a couple minutes at most if this continues."

"Excellent. I can also lift his arms over the edges if we need to drain them as well." A sigh. "We'll have to figure out a better way to do this. It's damned awkward." Fredrick glanced up from his work to see Abraham standing there with one slippered foot resting on his shoulder, hands holding the knee to keep it steady, and grinned.

"Awkard, indeed! But I think we're done here." With a relieved grunt, Abraham lowered the leg back into the coffin. Fredrick pulled the needle out and with a practiced grip, Abraham pressed down on the seeping hole. A few seconds later, and he moved his thumb...to show the unmarred skin with its small streak of blood. A glance at the vampire showed the face unchanged, undamaged. They'd taken less than fifty milliliters, only a few ounces, for their first draw.

"We can probably take more in the future but not until we figure out a better way to drain him." Abraham sighed. "I don't know if trying to draw blood during the night would work either. He says he has no heartbeat, so no blood pressure then, either. I have no deuced idea how the keeps the blood from pooling in his feet, though, with no circulation. But it's moot. He'd end up screaming in the corner if I tried to hold him long enough to pull out blood!"

Familiar with the vampire's flightiness over being touched, Fredrick merely nodded and checked the cap on the tube. The vampire only rarely touched Abraham, and never for long. The few occasions when Abraham had thoughtlessly reached for the vampire, Alucard had gracefully dodged the contact. And they'd all seen the broken tearful mess Alucard had become when Abraham was leading him to the bath.

And so they were drawing blood while the vampire slept. But unless Abraham wanted to be holding that leg up the entire time, they definitely needed a better way to do this.

For now, they were going to see if the blood reacted to the known vampiric banes. There was some garlic, including juice, waiting in the lab, along with silver. They had a bit of Host and Holy water, some blessed objects, and a concentrated solution of silver nitrate as well. There wasn't anywhere near enough blood to test it all tonight, but they'd be able to see if there was any reaction from at least a few of the objects.

Vampire settled comfortably back into the coffin, they moved to the lab, ready to start. Sean and Danny had the racks and clean tubes ready to divide their prize into and all four were anxious to get their first results!

x x x x x x

Alucard woke that evening, finding himself resting on his lid again. He was well-rested, though, Master had placed him in the coffin. As his mind slowly woke, he remembered...blood. Master...while sleeping? He shuddered, but took a few deep breaths. Yes, he smelled strongly of Master, and somewhat of another person. Fredrick? Yes, the one he had frightened so. An inventory of his body revealed nothing. No damage, no aches, nothing at all. Had they drawn blood?

Yes, he could smell it, ever so faint, and twisted about with a flexibility no human could have matched to sniff at his ankles. The one ankle reeked of Fredrick, and had a small smear of blood on it. Yes, they'd taken his blood. A faint shudder, that he would have been handled so while asleep, but only a faint shudder. And curiousity, too. What had they learned?

He looked towards the door, surprised briefly to see Abraham sitting beside it, bottles at his feet. He'd been too engrossed in his own condition to pay any attention at all to his surroundings! But Abraham was holding out a bottle, a smile on the man's face, and he hurried to eat his breakfast.

He was hungrier than usual. But he'd only had three bottles the night before, the fourth one untouched by his coffin, and then he'd "donated" a bit. Yes, he should be hungry.

But Master was happy, and he was not hurt.

He was a little concerned about being near Sean tonight...but also hopeful that tonight, like last night, he'd be able to spend an extended period of time with his Master. 


	67. Chapter 67

ch 67

Abraham was surprised, yet again, by his vampire. The beast dogged his heels, unwilling to move from his side, but was fascinated by the lab and the effects on its blood. Inquisitive red eyes inspected each vial of blood and ash, peering and tilting, twirling the vials about to watch the blood swirl sluggishly, and generally just as interested in the results as any of the humans!

Many of the vials contained nothing but dust and ash. The bits of garlic had turned the blood into a gummy black residue, the garlic oil had been less effective. Adding water and regular oil resulted in diluted blood and naught else. The bits of silver had boiled off the blood, leaving the black flecks splashed high in the test tube. Holy Water had actually resulted in an explosion flickering flames, causing Fredrick, who was conducting that test, to shout and windmill backwards from the briefly blazing tube!

But there hadn't been much blood. Even at only a few drops per tube, they'd been limited to only a baker's dozen experiments. What they had demonstrated, conclusively, was that known banes to vampires were effective against all their tissues.

And that vampiric blood was stable outside a vampire's body. The last test tube, the original, still contained blood. Abraham wanted to know just how long that blood would remain intact. Not viable, no...but how long before it broke down? Did it ever cease to react?

And tonight they had planned to look at a few of those cells under Abraham's microscope. However, trying to set the slides up had been a failure so far. Human blood was simple to study; a dilute salt water solution kept them intact. Vampiric blood cells seemed to be more delicate, and there hadn't been enough for more than a handful of attempts.

But no matter. Abraham was a master at preparing slides for study, and was confident he'd find the correct matrix to present vampiric blood cells for study soon. But dammit, they'd have to take more blood, or research would only progress at a snail's pace!

For tonight, though, the vampire could help them set up the other rooms. He just hoped they'd have enough blood and tissue available to actually justify the multiple rooms!

x x x x x x

Alucard settled against his coffin, hearing the men traveling back upstairs. He'd been set to scrubbing at a floor, and his aristocratic nature sent up a faint howl of protest. But Fredrick had been in there with him, scrubbing away himself. Master had been wiping down the walls. And that little protest from the ragged remnants of his pride and past was quickly silenced.

It had been fascinating, what the men had already found out. He'd never studied himself, the thought had never really occurred to him. He knew how long he could by out in bright daylight before it became uncomfortable, he'd learned through his own experiences and observations of other vampires that silver and religious items were dangerous. Cutting off the head, staking the heart, those worked, though he'd found that dismemberment and leaving the head attached simply resulted in a weak and helpless vampire. But he'd never considered looking at the fine details of such things. A knife could kill a human, but whether a serrated blade or smooth blade was more efficient he'd never have worried about when alive. Now, whether 5% or 50% silver was more effective was equally irrelevant; he'd simply avoided silver.

But it was fascinating. And while Sean had been watching him far too closely, for most of the time they had been in separate rooms. And Master was always nearby.

He dreaded the thought of being handled again while asleep, though it was Master who would be there.

But he also wanted to know what else would be discovered.

And, he noticed with a grin, the wards were entirely gone. Not even a flicker. It was a bit tempting to go wander through the other rooms; he'd avoided the one where Sean was working, hadn't seen all that was now there, hadn't inspected the results of those tests.

But Master wanted him to stay. There were a few hours until dawn.

And he was fed, rested, and free of interference from those wards.

He wasn't anywhere near his normal capabilities, no. But it was time to see what abilities he could access, even with his current condition. Many of them, such as shifting his clothes, still took too much concentration. His mind was too apt to wander off into a frightening memory, throwing the process into shambles. But what abilities were available to him right now?

Before dawn, he drank the entire fourth bottle. He was pleased with what he'd found, but a bit drained. He could shift to wolf now but with effort. Letting himself fall into mist was very easy, took little concentration. Though he'd stayed in his cell, he'd managed to pass his hand through the wall and into the corridor. Several repeats of this, and he was confident that he'd be able to create a passage quickly at need. His skills with animals had also returned. A rat had come to his call, and he'd spent some time enjoying its soft fur and watching it play before remembering and tearing it apart...it was one of the rats that had feasted while he starved. A second rat arrived, a mere baby, barely out of the nest and on its own, and he let it play, scrambling about his coffin lid and climbing up his pants with its sharp little claws.

He could form his shadows, give them some shape, but nothing definite, not yet. The souls he'd trapped in himself screamed, but he was far too damaged and battered to begin to rule them. Releasing the weakest, yes, he possibly could. But if the soul he released had a strong will, he could find himself trapped and his own body controlled!

For now, that vast reservoir of power remained entirely off-limits. Using it would destroy him.

And so he played idly with the little rat. The sky lightened, and he curled up to sleep, wondering idly what Abraham would think of the dead rat. A frown...Abraham would not be happy. But rats would cannibalize a dead rat, and his quick call brought a scurry of clicking little nails and the soft sounds of movement. The dead rat would be gone very soon after all!

He didn't want Master to touch him while he slept, to drain him. But Master would do as Master wanted. And he was so curious as to what would be found! 


	68. Chapter 68

ch 68

They'd discussed the blood draw, and while no one was particularly pleased with the solution, it would work. Two of them would tilt the coffin, a third would prop the vampire up inside, and Abraham would be at the foot of the coffin and at Alucard's feet, extracting blood.

By noon, they were awake and ready to begin the day's activity. Alucard had been placed in his coffin hours ago and slumbered peacefully, not twitching an eye as Fredrick and Daniel lifted the coffin. A grinding noise was heard, and Abraham hastened to stop them.

"Lower it, gently!" As the coffin reclined, he bent to look at the edge. Sturdy though the coffin was, having all its weight resting on the thin edge of the base had begun to crush and splinter it along the edge. With a wince for Alucard's likely reaction when he noticed, Abraham left the others to get a rug. The others waited patiently for his return.

xx x x x

"It's not fair, you know." was Sean's wry comment, followed by a near-unison of "What?" from the others.

"That beast. A monster of Hell and a half-mad half-wit. And he looks like THAT." A wave of his hand took in the peaceful vampire, with the alabaster complexion and the fan of thick black lashes resting casually against sculpted cheeks. "He doesn't show what he is, not at all." A sigh. "He should look like a monster, not an angel. It's not right."

The others had to agree. Alucard, sleeping, looked so peaceful, so pure, so beautiful. And yet this was the monster that as a human had impaled and tortured hundreds, even thousands, and after his death had gone on to slaughter uncounted numbers. And he slept looking like a saint, no hint of his bloody ways at all visible.

The conversation would have continued, but Abraham returned with a rug from one of the labs. The edge was cushioned, the coffin lifted, and nearly half a liter of blood drawn out of the vampire with the increased pressure. It initially spurted out, much to Abraham's delight, and he was still smiling as he applied pressure to the hole.

It healed, the coffin was resettled, the vampire fed a bit as he'd faded, though not enough, as Sean put it, to look the least bit unpleasant. However, all the men were far too delighted with the increased harvest of blood to pay any attention to his grumbling, no matter how accurate it was.

x x x x x

Alucard woke by his coffin, slowly and gently, cautiously scenting the air as his mind began to function. Men, ALL of them, had been there. He could smell them on his body, especially Sean, Sean even more than Master, and a shudder ran down his entire length. But Abraham was calling him, and he rose to work.

His near-silence and his unwillingness to be out of reach of Abraham were noted by the man, but written off as just moodiness. Alucard did express some interest in the blood and reactions, but was skittish, inclined to jump and startle when the door was opened or anyone entered.

Abraham did notice enough to send everyone out to the other lab. This new one still needed a substantial bit of scrubbing, and with the others out of the room the vampire was nearly cheerful as it cleaned and wiped and rinsed. Still silent, but far, far more relaxed with the others chased away and busy next door.

And grimy again, by the time Abraham sent him to bed. A few nights of cleaning and moving and shifting in the dirt of the basement had left the vampire's clothes more gray than brown, the shirt dingy and spotted instead of white. Cobwebs clung to its hair, and spatters of muddy water had dried to a freckling of dots on his neck.

Abraham bid him a goodnight, pleased with the night's work. That second room was very nearly usable now, cleaner than the first, with only a few items to be moved into it. Sean and Patrick were testing to find out which substances reacted with the blood, Abraham was working out dilutions of the ones that reacted, Fredrick was involved with finding filters that kept the blood from reacting to the sun, and the vampire himself was still cooperative, obedient, despite the spookiness and skittishness he'd exhibited after waking.

All in all, a very good night. Tomorrow he'd have the vampire stripped and the clothes washed, then take it up for another bath to get the dirt and filth off it. He'd already ascertained how blood reacted, and was eager to trim a bit off the hair and nails and see if those reacted, too. Alucard had healed him, and the limits and ramifications of that act were intriguing. Would the vampire be willing to let him take some saliva and test it?

Humming happily to himself, he left the vampire and its bottles of blood to rest in its chamber. That room was so bare. He hadn't gotten the vampire any furniture before because he feared that the beast would use it as a weapon. Now, though...a chair, at least, was probably in order!

Plans whirling through his mind, he fell happily into bed. He'd wake to move the vampire far too soon, but for now, he intended to get some rest! 


	69. Chapter 69

Ch 69

(I hadn't intended to write this from Sean's POV, but it worked out that way. See the note at the bottom for more information! :)

Sean was having problems working with the vampire. He had woken early in the morning to a dream involving himself and the vampire, woken sweaty and sore and unhappy and puzzled. And suspicious. He'd never had any sort of dream like that before, not since a few odd ones in his teens. Was the vampire deliberately affecting him somehow? He knew they could exert a mental control over their victims.

Was Alucard somehow altering his behavior, deliberately toying with him now that Abraham had prevented the beast from frightening them? That had to be it, it had to be. He was far too focused on that damned vampire. Normally his dreams were full of buxom blondes and saucy brunettes, not undead males!

He supposed he ought to talk to Abraham or the others about this, but it was so damn embarrassing! And it would result in the beast knowing that it had affected him, a victory that he refused to hand it. Grumbling, he rolled over, deciding that he'd just have to deal with. Maybe a trip out to enjoy some high-kicking dancers would be in order. Soon.

x x x x

He held to this resolution during the blood draw, despite the silky skin his hands had brushed, despite the firm yet lithe body under those clothes. Even the scent, difficult to describe, was alluring. Damn that beast, damn him! He hoped that none of the others noticed the uncomfortable tightness in his pants as the blood draw continued.

It was over too soon and not soon enough, the vampire settled down in the coffin. Abraham opened the mouth slightly to slip the funnel in, and the site of that smooth metal passing the perfect and parted lips was too much. He excused himself, a bit flustered, not returning for some time, and definitely more relaxed...and more angry, puzzled, and confused at the situation than before.

He moved down the stairs to pass Abraham coming up them, arms full of dirty clothes. His puzzled glance drew an explanation from the man.

"Alucard has gotten absolutely filthy cleaning the rooms. While he's asleep and unable to protest, I've stripped him bare. By the time he wakes, the clothes will be clean and dry and waiting." Happily oblivious to the turmoil he'd just inspired in Sean, Abraham continued up the stairs and off to the laundry.

It was a difficult day, knowing that the smooth, bare, perfect body of the vampire waited just across the hallway. Even with his earlier release, he found himself hardening at the thought, unable to concentrate. Worse yet was his fixation on those chance words of Abraham's, "unable to protest."

It was so tempting. But he didn't want the beast to know its ploys had worked, nor did he want the other men aware of this unnatural obsession with the creature. But it was so difficult. Each glint of light off a test tube became a shine from the smooth and perfect skin of the beast, each drip of blood a reflection of those beautiful deep red eyes.

It was harder and harder to resist, but he forbore from any actions. He would NOT give in. And it was less than an hour to sunset. He could make it that long, and hopefully by tomorrow he'd have some other plan.

And then Fredrick announced with a stretch and a cricking of his neck that HE was going to take a break and go for a brief stroll around the house before the sun set and it was dark outside. Abraham pulled back from the microscope, inspection of the slide forgotten, and remarked that he, too, could use a short break. He was going to go and check on supper and the state of his home, which he'd been sadly neglecting the last few days. Danny came in at that time, and when Fredrick explained he'd be going for a walk, decided that would be just the thing for himself as well.

"After all, too much more time down here and I'll turn into a bat faster than Alucard can!"

Sean fought internally for a minute. He could get some much needed distance from the beast, with no one the least bit suspicious.

But he hadn't yet seen it, not in its bare beauty. It was such a tempting peek show. Was it as perfect as he dreamt? If he went upstairs with them...he might be passing up his only opportunity to observe the beast, nude, safely, and in detail.

"I'll be staying here a bit longer." A depreciative smile and a quick gesture at his own bench and experiments. "I'm not yet at a stopping point, but I ought to be upstairs shortly. Save some of that sunlight for me!"

He'd be upstairs shortly, true. But not before he got an eyeful of the vampire. And it would never know, never be able to taunt him for his weakness, and the others would be equally oblivious.

With this in mind, it was hard to feign indifference, and casually wave to the others as they headed upstairs and he turned to his benchtop.

And as soon as he heard the door at the top of the stairs close, he was darting across the hall and opening the doors that kept him from the sleeping vampire.

x x x x

So, why aren't the others affected? Well, Fredrick was at first. His first remark about the vampire involved how beautiful it was! And then Alucard terrified him. Problem solved. Danny probably is reacting, but not to the extent that Sean is, not yet. Chances are good he's still scared of the vampire enough to not be influenced. As for Abraham, I've decided to write him as an asexual. There's a very small percentage of people that simply do not have a sex drive, sort of the anti-nymphos. They can form perfectly healthy relationships with other adults, but when given the choice of sleeping or playing in bed, will invariably choose to sleep! So he's not affected by the vampire at all, and doesn't understand the unintentional, unwanted influence the vampire has on the others! 


	70. Chapter 70

Ch 70

(While not overly explicit, this DOES contain some 'adult' content and it's not consensual. If this offends you, skip to the VERY BOTTOM. I'll have a summary there, and you can continue with the story without being traumatized!)

Oh, God. OhGodOhGodOhGod. It was far more beautiful than he'd expected.

Swallowing loudly, lantern clenched in a tight, suddenly sweaty hand, he stared at the beast before him.

It was perfect. So perfect, so beautiful. He couldn't even look at the face, not yet, staring fixedly at the feet. They were lovely, long and smooth and narrow, delicate yet strong toes, a perfect arch, the heel expanding into a smooth stretch of perfectly sculpted calf, every ridge of muscle, every line of tendon delicately and precisely sketch. The knees, not knobby or boney at at all, perfect hinges, delineating the line between calf and the powerful, leonine thighs. The slightest outward curve of the hip, dipping in to a defined, powerful waist, the muscles of the abdomen each traced with a faint depression, hair curling up in a delicate line to twist below the navel.

A quick flick of the eyes lower, to a shadow of graceful black curls and the flesh upon them, then a gasp and a determined jerk of the eyes to move farther up the body.

The chest was perfect, the muscles lying in smooth slabs, the lower ribs defined but not prominent, no ounce of fat, no bit of flesh wasted, but nothing lacking, not at all. The abrupt and perfectly symmetrical nipples rest below the solid sheet of pectorals, topped by a gracefully swooping pair of collarbones, framed by the long, graceful, powerful, arms.

Above it, the neck, looking so soft and smooth and elegant that he fought not to bend and kiss it, ending in a face that would, like Helen's, have launched a thousand ships. The perfect chin, not grossly wide and masculine, but stronger than a woman's, with the tiniest cleft, resting below those sculpted lips with a faint flush of color. On up, to where the defined and elegant cheekbones were topped with fans of thick black lashes, spread across the upper curve of those cheeks.

The eyes, thankfully, were closed. Were they open and showing that incredibly. alluring deep red, he'd have lost control entirely.

Even the hair, thick, lush, and touselled, begged to be touched. Was it as silky as it looked, lying there glossy and smooth upon the pillow?

Here, control faltered. He had to touch that ebony waterfall, see if it was as delicate and fine and silky as it seemed.

Oh, God, it was, it was...and his pants grew ever tighter, his breath rasping in and out.

Oh, how he wanted this beast! And it lay there, unmoving, perfect in his eyes, more beautiful than any woman who had ever filled his eyes or his bed, amazing and captivating.

He couldn't resist this. If he was quick, he would be gone long before the vampire woke. And it healed so very rapidly...it would never even know anything had happened. Appalled at his actions, but excited to near-frenzy, he pulled the beast from the coffin.

The floor...no. Too dirty. Abraham had cleaned the beast, it was too pure, to perfect, to place on that floor. A moment's thought and a bit of wrangling, and the coffin lid was replaced on the coffin. Heavy and sturdy, well able to withstand the activity he was so desperate for. And through all the manipulations, the vampire remained a doll, a perfect, porcelain doll begging to be properly appreciated.

A frantic scrambling at the buttons and strings of his clothing, and he fell free, hot and solid and ready.

A moan...was he really going to do this? How could he? How could he not? and the vampire's legs were lifted, placed on his shoulders. A kiss on those cold and immobile yet so perfect lips, a kiss like kissing smooth marble, a moan, and he settled himself against the beast. A few seconds of feeling and thrusting to line up...

Bliss. Oh, this was Heaven, and he plunged rapidly towards his own "little death", lost in the throes of an ungodly pleasure.

x x x x x x x Summary x x x x x x

He goes across the hall, sees the naked Alucard, admires him, and then loses control. It ends with the lid on the coffin, the vampire on the lid, and Sean on the vampire. And in the vampire.:( 


	71. Chapter 71

Ch 71

Not night yet. Awake. Nightmare? Yes. Nightmare. Something else.

Pain. Pain? Moving, there was movement. Pain, a far too familiar pain.

What? How?

Frantic, body still unresponsive, sun not yet down, Alucard fought to wake up, to move. He hoped it was only a dream, another nightmare, dreaded that it was not. Eyes, slow and stiff, creaked open.

Above him loomed the hot, sweaty form of a man, face locked in a grimace of ecstasy, that horrible wet painful heat tearing into him with each thrust.

Then a spray of heat, disgusting, deep inside him, and the man's face relaxed, eyes sagging open to see the furious red eyes glaring back at him.

The screaming was brief, but enough to bring Abraham running.

x x x x x x

Abraham had been deep in conversation with the cook, approving additional orders for victuals, letting the cook know how many more vistors were expected and when. It was all very mundane, but he'd neglected to let his staff know the necessities of how many and when and what to prepare for. The conversation was over whether to order an entire side of beef or simply purchase extra lambs when the bloodcurling shrieks began.

Abraham spun about, racing for the stairs. Dear God, he'd left Sean alone with the vampire. It wasn't dark yet, but Alucard must have woken early, taken advantage of the situation and attacked.

Horrified at his negligence, dreading what he'd find, Abraham pounded down the stairs, past Alucard's door, and into the lab where he had left Sean.

Sean wasn't there, the beakers and test tubes untouched, bare of any blood but the vampiric samples, no sign of any damage. The other lab's door was closed, but within a heartbeat Abraham had it open...only to see the same still and proper lab that he'd left only minutes ago.

Was Sean in with Alucard? But...WHY?

Putting aside that question to answer later, he raced across the hallway and into Alucard's chambers.

x x x x x

The screaming had stopped, but the snarls continued. He lurched to a stop just before the second door, pulling out his gun and checking the bullets, then cautiously opening the door.

It was a bloodbath.

Sean, or rather, his remains, were stretched out on the floor. The head was nearly removed, stringy sinews barely connecting it on one side, the spine itself entirely severed. Half an arm was gorily bleeding onto the floor several feet from his body.

Sean was no threat, and clearly dead, and Abraham quickly dismissed him, looking immediately for the vampire. In the back of his mind, he noticed the closed coffin, wondered if the vampire was in it...then saw Alucard crouched in his corner again, something the beast hadn't done for weeks.

Crouched, snarling, furious, the naked form liberally clothed in Sean's blood. From the mouth down, the front of the vampire was coated in blood, one hand also a bloody red.

His vampire had finally remembered what it was...and killed Sean. And now it was pure predator again, fury radiating off it as it glared at Abraham.

His quiet servant was gone, replaced with a vampiric monster. With a pang of grief at the loss, Abraham pulled his gun, pulling, aiming, and firing in a single smooth motion.

Quick as he was, the vampire was quicker. The bullet flew towards the beast's heart, and somehow, it moved. Alucard shrieked, head flying backwards, grasping his arm, then snarling his hate and rage at Abraham.

Missed, he'd missed the beast's heart, but wounded the arm. Heart racing, he squeezed the trigger again...but the vampire was no longer there. Alucard had collided with the wall, bouncing back off it with a look of complete panic. A quick, frightened glance over his shoulder at Abraham, then a hateful snarl at the drawn gun. And as Abraham pulled the trigger a third time...his vampire went THRU THE WALL.

By the time he reached the hallway, shrieks from the floor above indicated the vampire was already in the house and terrifying his employees. Oh, Dear God, the vampire was probably eating them, too!

Heart racing, sick with fear and worry, he flew up the stairs, to find the cook and a maid in the hall, staring at the back wall.

"Where did it go? Where?" he asked frantically, relieved to see no blood on either of them. The vampire had been in too much of a hurry to bite either, and he was deeply grateful for that small mercy. The cook's hand waved vaguely towards the wall.

"Through the wall. He went right through the wall." Dazed, frightened, the cook and maid retreated to the kitchen as Abraham went to the wall, then looked out the nearby window.

The yard was dark and empty. Alucard was gone.

His vampire had recovered enough to kill humans, to fight against him, to resist. And then it had escaped. And it had done something he'd never, ever heard of a vampire doing. It had gone right through the stone wall and the wards like they were nonexistent.

He'd worried about the vampire breaking through the stone, tearing the ceiling apart or breaking through the wall, digging out of the cell, finding cracks and crevices that he could ooze out as a mist. But he'd never imagined the beast could pass through a solid stone wall.

Twice.

What else could it do?

And who was it killing now?

Oh...no! Danny and Fredrick were outside, walking the grounds. Had the vampire attacked them?

x x x x x x

Fredrick stumbled through the doorway, gun in hand, Danny right behind him. Abraham stood in the hallway, relief clear on his face at their appearance.

Fredrick hoped he hadn't seen what he thought he'd seen, but knew it was a hollow wish. He'd seen what he'd feared.

"Abraham, the vampire...we saw it run across the yard, over the wall. It was covered in blood, naked...is Sean?"

Abraham's solemn expression told them the answer before his head nodded.

"Yes. And now we must hunt a vampire."

x x x x x

It was only a short period of time before the butler, armed with a pistol and a cross 'round his neck, was racing to the telegraph office with messages to Arthur, the Harkers, Seward, and Father Jacobs. Abraham, Fredrick, and Daniel were mounted on horses, lanterns strapped to the cantles to guide them when the setting sun finally left the land dark, pistols and rifles both with silver ammunition at the ready.

The path was easy to follow, at least at first. But less than a half hour past sunset, Abraham called a halt to their hunt.

The trail was gone, lost in the hard surface of the road and the uncommunicative grass of a trampled field. In the daylight, they might have stood a chance at finding it, but not in the dark. And the vampire could even now be circling back to hunt THEM, now that they were alone, separated from other humans, out in the dark night.

Every gleam of red eyes as a nocturnal creature saw them and fled sent shivers up Abraham's spine. Turning the horses, they travelled back to the relative safety of his home at the fastest pace the horses could safely manage in the dark.

x x x x x x

It was when they went down to take care of the body that Abraham and the others began to realize what had happened, fantastic and unreal as it might seem. Sean's body had been rolled over, and Fredrick had pointed out that his pants had been ripped off. Daniel had noted, green in the face at the presence of the blood and gore and the corpse of his friend, that they weren't ripped off. They were untied, unbuttoned.

He was exposed, member blatant. And covered in a sticky substance that was most assuredly not blood.

Daniel turned to vomit at this point, and Abraham found himself weak-kneed, sitting heavily on the closed coffin. Fredrick simply closed his eyes, swaying.

Alucard had been asleep, the sun not setting yet.

Sean had been alone.

The vampire had been nude, unprotected.

Sean's behavior towards the vampire, and Alucard's fear of being away from Abraham, crystalized.

The man had even taken the time to cover the coffin, undoubtedly using it as a surface for his assault on Alucard.

The vampire had been angry, yes. And terrified, confused, barely awake. It hadn't eaten Sean at all, there was far too much blood for the vampire to have attempted to consume any of it beyond incidental drabs from the bite itself.

Sean had raped the sleeping vampire, and Alucard had woken up.

And then Abraham had done the same damn foolish stunt that he'd been so angry at John and Arthur for, and shot the beast instead of calming and reassuring it. And now, it was released on the countryside.

He didn't think it would be finding a human to take care of it again. Not now.

He just hoped he could catch the vampire again, before too many lives were lost.

More than Sean's life. Stupid, foolish, lustful Sean, who'd forced himself on a sleeping vampire. He should have let the vampire terrify the men, it might have kept Sean away from Alucard.

That man's foolishness and lust had cost him his life, and now Abraham needed to try and prevent more deaths.

At dawn, they'd be heading out to find the beast. Slowly and surely, reduced to hunting him like any other vampire. Scouring papers for stories of disappearances and strange sightings, a tomb-by-tomb search of every cemetary in England if need be.

Coffin. The beast would be back for its coffin! A hope rose in Abraham's breast, only to be dashed. A normal vampire would want its coffin, be desperate for it, could be trapped while returning to obtain its coffin. But Alucard, so damaged...the beast wasn't likely to do so.

But it had no coffin, and no earth, and would be weaker with each day that passed. Weaker, possibly more and more deranged and panicky. More dangerous, if that was the case.

He'd have to find his erstwhile charge, that he had yet again failed to care for so very miserably, and this time, he'd have to kill it. 


	72. Chapter 72

Ch 72

Pain, pain, there was pain. The pain of his assault, now fading, though the filth inside him remained, and he shuddered with disgust. His arm, the bone shattered, each step a jarring agony. His back BURNED, another bullet had hit his shoulder, and it was still in him, eating at him, so painful.

Master had done this.

Master had let the man use him, then attempted to destroy him.

His father had handed him to the Turks to use. And now his new "father" had given him to Sean to use. And when he resisted...

Abraham had shot him. The cold, certain, calm look as the trigger was pulled a second time told him all he needed to know.

Master intended to kill him.

And this betrayal hurt worse than anything else.

x x x x x

He'd made it out of the house, racing blindly through the wall and away from Abraham, the gun, the screaming couple in the hall. He'd staggered when he hit the lawn, falling through the wall and dropping to the lower level of the yard, hitting the grass and rolling. Oh, that had hurt, his arm screaming, back screaming, and he'd pushed up on his one good arm.

The wall. There was a wall. Bullets could not go through the wall. And so he'd raced, half-blinded in the light of the setting sun, staggering and stumbling and rushing forward, expecting at any moment to feel another bullet.

They'd seen him. The other men. Had they been waiting their turn? He snarled at them, but no time, no time to destroy them. The wall. A quick leap, no time to focus to pass through it. And gone.

x x x x x

He hadn't run far initially. It was still light out, and he hurt far, far too much. The internal pain, the damage from Sean, it would heal on its own, and soon, though not soon enough. The bullets, though...no. A low fence and the grasses tufted at its base provided a low and uncertain shelter from watching eyes, but it was all he could see, and he had to get those bullets out, and immediately.

Crouching behind the all-too-insufficient cover of the grasses and fencepost, he clenched his teeth and probed the arm wound with the fingers of his working arm. Wrenching the one from the bone of his arm nearly blacked him out from pain, his fingers sizzling as he dug about the scorched flesh, feeling where had struck the bone and then burned its way in. But he managed, gasping dumbly and blindly when it was removed.

Speed, hurry, hurry...His Mas-no. Not Master. No more. Master had denied him, refused him. Vampires sometimes turned on a child, when that child had done something so terrible that the maker realized that turning it had been a mistake.

Terrible. So terrible. What had he done, that Abraham would give him away to be abused, then execute him?

Abandoned and lost, he curled up, sobbing, shaking in fear, knowing he needed to put as much space between himself and his former Master as possible, as quickly as possible. The stabbing, blistering pain in his back pulled him into awareness. Difficult, yes, but vampires were more flexible than a human, and before long his hand was digging at this injury too. Not so deep, the bullet in a rib, near the spine, part of it already uncovered as his skin scorched and peeled back.

Gone, out, and he gasped in relief. Then determination to live rose up, the instinct to survive, and he pushed himself to his feet. His arm was still useless, he still hurt inside, could still feel the man's soil in him, but no time, no time at all. Already, he could hear the shouts. Horses. No.

Damaged, hungry, bewildered, frightened, and furious, he turned back to the hard and smooth surface of the road, trading concealment for speed, hoping that no one else would encounter him until it was dark and he could hide. Even so injured, he moved as fast as a good horse could trot, and was soon far down the road.

Traffic, there was traffic. Vehicles. And far behind him, he could hear the men pursuing him. His back was dripping blood, not much, but enough to see, to help trail him, the red incredibly visible against the stones of the road, sizzling and smoking in the dim evening light, making the men certain of their prey, and they were racing after him.

A whimper. They were after him. Ahead of him, a wagon. Time to leave the road, go slower through the fields. Ah, a sheep lot. The ground was trampled, rough, hard...no trace. He'd leave little sign, no footprints, and beyond it was a hill and a field, breaking the line of sight from the road.

Over the fence, through the fetid lot with its layer of hardened droppings and clumps of harder ground, and, with a brief malicious grin, a moment to startle the dozen sheep crowded into the corner. Their frantic race across the field destroyed any trail the men might have found.

Over the fence, night now falling and concealing him, he darted over the hill and across the next field.

Visible, he was visible. Naked, and the horror rose in him again. He fought it off. Naked. Pale, white, so visible, too visible. The farmer's house for the field. No clothes outside on the line, not at night. But a small barn, horses, cows...

Horse blanket. Thick, heavy, reeking of horse sweat, but he lifted it quietly from the bench all the same. Wrapped in it, he felt better. Less visible. And it was dark, dirty from use, hiding him in the night. The barn was empty of humans, he was out of sight of anyone but the animals, he'd left the hunters far behind.

His arm still burned, but not so badly. The tearing pain below was only a dull ache, nearly gone. The filth in him, his body was absorbing. He wished he'd had a chance to try and force it out, and strained briefly, trying to alter and shift his body to remove it, but it remained stubbornly. He growled, hating the touch of it inside him, but resigned. He'd absorb it soon enough. Not blood, no. But his body still seemed able to take it in, use it. Disgusting. Revolting. He shivered in distaste, feeling the gorge rise in his throat.

But there was naught to do about it.

He needed to plan, to think. Needed to find a safe place to hide before morning, a place to sleep.

Coffin, he had no coffin, no soil. He shook with fear. That...it could destroy him. It would destroy him. But he'd make it as long as he could before weakening so much that he collapsed for the sun to kill him. And he might find a solution, a suitable other coffin somehow. He'd never faced this predicament, not at all.

First, a place to hide, time to make that place safe from discovery. Tomorrow night, he'd try and determine how to exist away from the items that sustained him.

Cemetaries, crypts, masoleums, catacombs...something. Dark, blessed, but filled with corruption of the dead. And not too close. Abraham would be searching them for him.

It was full dark out. Blanket wrapped tight around his lean form, hunched in pain from the pressure of it on his damaged back, but a look of fierce determination on his face, the vampire stepped out into the night.

He had nowhere near the cunning he'd once had, nowhere near the capability. And he knew it. But he'd find some way to exist, now, for as long as he could. And if he faced destruction, better that than to end up as the bedmate and toy for Abraham and his cohorts.

Abraham.

Blinking back surprising tears of sorrow and loss, the beast walked on, leaving the barn behind. He needed safety, a hiding place, far from humans, from the threat they posed, their betrayals and unreliability.

He couldn't depend on himself anymore.

But...he was all he had. And it would be enough. It had to.

There was no more Abraham for him. 


	73. Chapter 73

Ch 73

He needed a hiding place. And he needed to find it, soon. A wolf would have been faster, but his arm and shoulder were not healing as fast as they should. He was so hungry, the bullets were silver, and he was far from his earth and his coffin. Trying to run as a three-legged wolf with a hole between the shoulder blades would have been far too slow and too painful.

And so he kept to his own two feet, slower than he wanted, needing to stop and rest. But his wounds were healing, and a few probing swipes of his tongue cleaned the arm and sent it on towards healing.

Hungry, he was hungry. And around him were farmhouses, homes, the rare wagon or coach on the road at night. Each of them containing at least one meal, brimming with hot and spicey blood. How he wanted to stop, to eat...but when he tried to picture actually approaching close enough to bite them, he found himself crouched, crying, fighting off panic. And Abraham would know, would know that he'd hunted, use the injured and frightened and dead to find him. The man was too intelligent, and Alucard keened briefly in his fright and sorrow.

Abraham would find him, and he would die. But he'd stay alive as long as he could, and hope that something befell Abraham before the man could reach him. Unlikely, but possible, and the possibility kept him stumbling on. There was still hope. Not much, but there. And he wasn't going to give up, to die without a fight.

And so he stumbled on. A cemetary, then another, visible in the distance, but still too close to Abraham. A third, much smaller, and he moved downwind, sniffing carefully. Nothing.

He needed to find another vampire. His own mind was too scrambled and weak to identify a good hiding spot. He was aware of this. Broken, shattered, unstable, and unreliable. But another vampire, especially not a newborn, that had promise. That vampire would have found a good, safe hiding place.

Alucard intended to steal it.

It was less than an hour until dawn before he caught the scent of a vampire as he circled a cemetary. A female. Young, but all vampires seemed young to him. No newborn. Two vampires, this one had a child.

Nose in the air, moving faster now that his goal was within reach, he traced the scent to a mausoleum that had clearly not been used in decades. The marble was cracked in spots, traced with lines of green moss, the angels at the doorway beseeching the heavens with hands that ended in stumps, not fingers. The door was sealed, rusted solid lock and drifts of leaves showing that this was not how the vampires entered.

The older one could probably turn to mist at will. The child would still be limited to his own two feet and his own form. A quick prowl about the outside, and behind the overgrown shrubs he found the entrance. One of the walls had broken off at the bottom, leaving a wide, flat hole. Worn dirt showed the path used, a depression and the broken marble making an exit large enough for the child to enter and exit, though it was likely covered with dirt and mud each time. The shrubs hid the entrance, somewhat, but not completely, and he curled his lip in a sneer at their carelessness. Leaving a visible trail, so foolish.

Yet it might well be taken for nothing more than the hiding place of an animal. And for the vampire to have become old enough to take a child of its own, it had to have been successful at staying hidden. Perhaps he was paranoid, overthinking the risk.

A pause, and he fell into mist, slowly puddling about, then moving with determination towards the entrance.

x x x x x

It was over quickly. They hadn't even realized he was there until he'd reformed inside the cramped masoleum.

His presence made it quite plain that he intended to take their territory. A wiser vampire than she would have fled, but this vampire chose to fight. Angry, hurting, tired, hungry, he was in no mood to end it quickly. And so the blood flew, spraying the inside of the mausoleum in a gorey coat before he finally ripped her head off.

The child dodged towards the opening, frantic with fear. During the "fight", more of a systematic dismantling of his maker, he'd crouched behind a coffin. Maker dead, he raced to the exit, trying to flee from this monster.

Alucard nearly killed him, too. With its maker dead, it would never be more than the lowest of the vampires, never gain in powers or ability, trapped forever as a child. There was no reason to let him leave.

Wait. There was.

He blocked the exit, red and glowing eyes fixed on the child, as his mind fought through the thoughts he could feel bumbling about.

He had the coffin of a dead vampire.

If he released the child, he'd have the coffin of a live vampire. Maybe he could use its coffin?

And...another vampire out and about, especially an untrained, uncontrolled child, would distract Abraham. It would make his own kills harder to trace to him, if he ever managed to hunt again.

There was no real reason to kill it, other than the pleasure of doing so, and a disgust at its weakness. And it was late, and he was tired, sore, hungry.

And so, grin gaping wide, he stepped from the exit, arm in a grand sweep indicating the child could exit.

And it did so, frantically scrambling through the hole and likely losing some skin in the process.

With a chuckle, Alucard moved to the coffins.

Coffins.

He had to. Could he?

The shape was different from his. The scent was different. They were both shorter coffins, wider, deeper. The wood was different, the interiors different.

Shuddering, he lifted the lid from the coffin that scent indicated belonged to the young male. The inside was lined in a deep chocolate brown plush, not the pale white silk of his own. Even the lid was different, hinged into two parts, not one solid piece.

So odd. Coffins were different in England, certainly. But perhaps this would work. He could leave half the coffin open.

Gingerly, he stepped into it, sitting carefully, eyes clenched shut, waiting for the panic. His skin crawled, and in seconds, he was panting in fear, hands clenching the side and the other half of the lid.

But it eased. And his eyes blinked open. He could be in this coffin. Not comfortably, not without fear. But he could manage.

With a whine, he moved down into the coffin. Laying on his back, no, he couldn't manage that. But propped up a bit, head partially out of the coffin...it worked.

With a relieved sigh, he let his eyes close. The sun wasn't up, not yet, but it would be soon. He wondered if the child had found another place to hide. They were in a cemetary, there were dozens of other mausoleums. If it hadn't managed to get into one, then it deserved to die.

The sun crept up, and the tension around his eyes relaxed.

Alucard slept. 


	74. Chapter 74

Ch 74

He woke, confused. Where was he? What had happened? Coffin?

Alucard scrambled, exiting the coffin to sit, bewildered, on the ground beside it. It wasn't the same coffin.

He hadn't had nightmares. He knew that. But his mind couldn't wrap around this, determined what had happened, not immediately.

It took time.

And then he remembered, curling up, gasping in fear, remembering the man, above him, penetrating him.

That filth in him...it was gone. A shudder. Gone, but permanently a part of him in some way. Horrible, disgusting.

He could sleep in another vampire's coffin. Did the other vampire need to be alive? But he was so tired. No nightmares, true. None at all. But no earth, and no meal, and he had recovered no strength at all.

Food, he needed food. And naked, filthy, bloody...he wasn't going to be able to lure away and seduce some woman. The thought of a man...he'd be too close. But he needed food. For now, he could still function, but he didn't know how long that would last.

He needed to learn about his new "home" though he doubted it would be permanent. It was too close to Abraham, and he wanted to be back in Romania, back to his wolves, and his snow, and the rugged mountains and crisp, bright stars in the cold, clean air.

No, he really wanted to be back in Van Helsing's home, waking up safe and comfortable beside his coffin, Abraham seated on the chair nearby, full bottles of blood and safe predictability and belonging a part of his existence. He wanted to hear Abraham's praise, see the man smile at him, hear Abraham's angry berating of the man's friends when they frightened or startled him. He wanted to feel protected, wanted, he wanted to go HOME.

But home didn't exist anymore.

He'd done something terrible, though he didn't know what it was. He'd taken down the wards, had Abraham found out? How?

Was that why Abraham had given him to Sean to use, the reason the man had decided to destroy him? He expected Van Helsing to be irritated, but the wards had been gone for days, and he'd behaved so well.

But not well enough.

And now, all was lost.

A few moment's indulgence in despair and tears, and then he forced himself to rise. Bemoaning the past did nothing. He'd learn from it, and go on.

x x x x

His arm was healed. Not even tender. So was his back. He still felt filthy, could smell that man on him...he needed to wash. So, finding water, that would be part of the night's plans. Clothes, some way to cover himself.

Find water, clothes, learn about the cemetary, find other places to hide, maybe, just maybe, find someone to eat.

He pushed out the hole, too tired to change shape, and stood outside, scenting the air, listening carefully. It was dark, cold to a human, and the cemetary seemed entirely empty. Careful to avoid the gazes of any potential humans, he searched about, deciding the cemetary really was entirely empty. And he found where the child had slept, too, a crypt that was full of his scent now though he'd left it already.

Curious, blanket pulled tight around him, he trailed the scent of the child. It moved towards the road, then along it, the hedge shielding its path from the road. And then it went towards a home, a ramshackle little hut, tiny yard crammed with a garden, a pigeon cote in the back. The home of the very poor, any space not used for stay alive being used for living. And a glance through the window showed it was not being used for living now, not anymore.

The child had killed the woman, killed her human child, a lad just old enough to be interested in the ladies, but no older. Even now, it was gulping blood from the ripped throat of the child, the woman lying next to him, neck broken.

He felt his mouth water, and it took a moment's effort to remember how...and he was in the cottage, under that leaky and patched roof, grinning down at the child.

He was glad he'd let it live.

It grabbed its meal, scrambling backward, eyes huge, teeth still sunk in the neck, and Alucard chuckled. With no master, it was already losing its sense of self, its intelligence. Eventually it would be no more than a ghoul, not just a weak vampire. It might take weeks, it might take months. But with hot blood in its mouth, triggering all sort of instinctive responses, and its master freshly dead, it was not coherent.

The smile faded from his lips and eyes.

He wasn't any better off himself.

Ignoring the child, he bent to the woman, biting into the neck and drinking deeply. Still hot, though no living heart pushed it about the body, and he drank, and drank, and drank. Taking a cue from Abraham's actions, when the blood ceased to flow easily, he lifted the legs and arms, being rewarded with several more rich mouthfuls of blood.

He was amused again to see the child following his example, frightened red eyes fixed on him. It skittered out the door and gone before he'd finished his own meal, and he left it to leave, no longer interested in destroying it and only vaguely curious where it might go.

x x x x x x

He was far less amused to find it back in his mausoleum, having returned for its coffin.

It could find another coffin. It was young, this was its home soil, and he was unamused.

It raced away, a parallel line of deep scratches on its shoulder showing where Alucard had swiped at it in annoyance.

After the child left, Alucard sat on his coffin, thinking a bit. He was still naked, and he should have taken the clothes off the child, perhaps stolen some from the cottage. But he was not thinking well, and this was simply another sign of it. He'd been focused on feeding, then hiding while he absorbed his meal, and had missed out on all the other possibilities.

But it had been a meal, a very large one. He'd gorged himself on the blood, uncertain of when he'd have another meal.

A meal far too close to where he was staying. Abraham would hear of this, the humans would be reported missing, the ghouls found. But there were two drained bodies, two ghouls, not one...Abraham might decide it was a pair of vampires with no relation to himself.

Or might decide he'd taken a fledgling.

No, morning was too close to find a new hiding place, a safe one. But he could scout out the rest of the cemetary, yes, find a handful more possible crypts to use.

x x x x

Within an hour, he was resting again in his stolen coffin, the sky slowly pinking. Full, healed, still tired from the lack of his soil, but so much better. He'd found another hiding place, a mausoleum that was ancient, with a caved-in roof, that appeared far too bright inside, far too open and uncertain, for a vampire to stay in.

But under the filth of the floor was another layer, and if he could focus enough to pass through that floor again, it was safe, dark, cold, and entirely unaccessible unless the human was willing to dig through the debris and the cracked floor. He'd never have found it if he hadn't seen a rat, idly called it to pet it, taking brief comfort in its life and company, and then released it...to see it vanish under what he'd thought was merely a cracked piece of flagstone.

Lifting the edge had shown a heavy wooden beam. And so he'd inspected, and been delighted with his find.

Should he wake tomorrow and find himself in danger of discovery, he had a second hiding-hole nearby.

But he intended to find one very far away, indeed, then move the coffin away to it. 


	75. Chapter 75

Ch 75

By late morning, everyone had gathered, and Abraham was organizing the parties. Seward was to travel to all the police stations about, asking about unusual deaths, and asking them as well to contact Abraham. It was unlikely that they'd listen, but if, no, WHEN Alucard began killing, they might remember the quiet doctor and his request.

Father Jacobs had arrived as well. Daylight had meant that the trains were running, and he'd bought a ticket as soon as he'd received his telegram. He'd be visiting the clergy, doing much the same as Seward.

Daniel and Fredrick were still badly shaken by the death of Sean and by what the man had done. While Fredrick was willing to leave and hunt with them, Daniel was contacting the undertaker and preparing Sean's corpse to be sent home for a funeral. On his death certificate they'd decided that "animal attack" was the most plausible explanation, though Abraham had suggested "industrial accident". Plenty of odd and fatal injuries happened in the mills. But there was no real reason for Sean to be in one...and a mastiff attack was more reasonable. And so Daniel remained behind, cleaning and packing Sean's belongings to return with him, preparing the corpse for a coffin (for sending him off half-naked and in bloodsoaked clothing was simply inappropriate!), arranging for shipping to return the man home and immediately, and contacting relatives to arrange a wake and funeral. He'd be leaving to see to his friend's burial, then traveling back to England to hunt the monster that killed him.

The others...were there to hunt. The Harkers, Holmswood, Abraham, and the addition of Fredrick to take the place of the lost Quincy. The fine carriage of Arthurs was quickly filled with the tools of the hunt, and off they went.

It would be cemetary-by-cemetary. They'd be going with the same tale as Seward, an escaped madman with an obsession with death, and asking the constables to visit the cemetaries with them. Abraham had no intention of losing a day's hunt while he sat in the jail of some small town.

And so they left for the first cemetary.

x x x x x

Seven cemetaries, and two church crypts later, and they were tired, dirty, and ready to return home. There had been no sign of the beast, none at all.  
>For good news, they'd had an elderly minister join them in the hunt. He'd had his own encounter with a malicious supernatural beast, some sort of hound-like monster, and had not hesitated to join them when visited by Father Jacobs. Tomorrow he'd be joining the good Father in visiting the churches. Having a Protestant and a Catholic together made the likelihood of the other men of the cloth cooperating substantially greater.<p>

For the bad news, they'd searched each tomb and masoleum in seven cemetaries and two crypts. And they had not even made it through all the cemetaries close to the Van Helsing estate, much less those far distant. 


	76. Chapter 76

Ch 76

It was three days into their hunt that they got their first break. A woman had been reported missing, along with her son. A neighbor had gone to check on her and found two sets of empty clothes on the floor, and bloodstains. The constables had seen this, and although they'd been dismissive of Seward's warnings, they did call Abraham. And they reported that the house was located by a major cemetary, one that Abraham had not yet checked.

On arrival, they found it much as the constables had reported. The residents had been attacked, apparently ghouled. Their remains were ash; the rising sun had destroyed them.

Alucard must have rushed, gotten sloppy, had not made certain his victims would not rise as ghouls. But two victims? Had the vampire been that hungry? But neither one was an adult male and the woman had apparently been frail; it could explain why he'd targeted them.

Having verified that this was, indeed, the work of the vampire, they went immediately to the cemetary. The constables were assisting, as well as both clergymen and Seward, allowing them to split into groups and search much faster. Abraham was nearly frantic, hoping that the hunt was at an end, dreading killing the beast, but, having seen the remains of two innocents, ready to do so. It was all a matter of finding the beast before the sun set.

They didn't find him.

Instead, they found a masoleum that had been a vampire lair, complete with a well-cared for coffin. But blood splattered the coffin, liberally and wastefully, blood that hissed and smoked and turned to dust as the light shone in from the door. The constables' reactions to this sight would have been entertaining under other circumstances.

The vampire itself was naught but a pile of clothes and dust on the floor, a female to judge by the skirt. Abraham gave a brief pause to wonder why the vampire hadn't created her own clothes as Alucard had done, but ignored that question to try and observe the situation more clearly.

Another bare area showed where a coffin had rested, the splashes of blood ending in an abrupt and straight line where they had met the edge. Bare feet had tracked bloody footprints across the floor as well, the long and thin feet looking very much like Alucard's, but Abraham had never studied the feet of other vampires. It might simply be that all vampires had such feet.

A mystery. Definitely a mystery. Had another vampire killed this one? Had she created the ghouls, then been destroyed before she could use them? Where had the other vampire gone, with its coffin? Had they fought for territory? Had it been a younger pair, that decided to claim this territory and then battled over it?

It appeared they might have another vampire to hunt, along with Alucard.

x x x x x x x x

This cemetary was small, forgotten and tucked away behind noisy train tracks, on a hill that discouraged farming. No wonder no one lived near it; the trains ran by constantly. But its isolation had given it a vampire inhabitant. Wiser than the first, it had taken a single look at Alucard, grabbed its coffin, and fled.

Alucard was content to have it so. He was too tired to enjoy a fight, far too tired. He could sleep in his stolen coffin, free of nightmares, but he woke up tired and fell asleep exhausted. The separation from his earth was taking its toll on him. He also hadn't found another meal, and was beginning to wonder if he should have followed that child about and stolen a few more meals from it. Vampiric blood gave energy, power, at least, even if it lacked the sustaining qualities of a human, and he somewhat regretted not consuming his the older vampire that had been his victim. But he didn't think it would have helped any. It was his earth he needed, and nothing and no one he ate would help with that.

Tired, too thin, hair gone white again, he left to retrieve his coffin from the last resting place he'd chosen. Over the last few nights, he'd leapfrogged about, moving to a new cemetary, finding a hiding place, retrieving his coffin to place in it, and then moving on to another cemetary. It had slowed him down tremendously, and while sleeping in it did prevent nightmares, that was all that it did.

He'd considered finding another, but he knew that this belonged to a vampire that still existed, and suspected that, perhaps, that might make it more usable. And he also knew that as tired as he was, as badly as his mind was failing under this stress, he wasn't likely to be able to find another one.

His nights had become simple. Wake. Walk away from where he was, to another cemetary. Sniff about it for a vampire. Find a place to hide his coffin. Retrieve the coffin. If early enough go on to another cemetary, search for another vampire, another hiding place.

Besides hiding and walking and walking and hiding, he had accomplished one other thing. The first night of his travels from the cemetary he'd hidden in, he'd found clothing. The sun had set not long before and he'd passed by a home, seeing clothes still on the line, and heard a woman's voice scolding inside for it, in fact! While she was berating someone for leaving the clothes outside to be stolen or blown away, it was happening. He'd moved quickly, darting through the yard in the dark to grab pants and a shirt, fleeing before anyone came outside to collect the laundry.

A woman's shirt, he'd found out afterwards, but still a shirt, though it was too small to button and ended well above the pants. The pants were much too short, and much too large around the waist. A raid on a shed found him a piece of rope that he knotted about them. He looked a beggar and a hobo, but he'd at least cleaned the blood off, and scrubbed away until the scent of the man was also gone. He'd left the water fouled, but the livestock would have to deal with the bad water in their trough until the farmer noticed and changed it.

Still barefoot, bare-headed, but no longer naked, and far enough from Abraham to have lost his immediate fear of discovery. Exhausted, starving, but his new home seemed safe to him, a place to rest and recover. Even had it been dangerous, accessible, he'd have remained.

He was simply too tired to go any further.

So he slid his coffin into the place vacated by the other vampire, made certain the door to the masoleum was tightly closed and appeared locked, and slept.

It was a newish masoleum, but all the shelves had been filled with coffins, all but one. And he suspected that coffin had simply been moved to another masoleum. No one was going to open it to be burying anyone, and all the bodies were dry, old. The lock was an impressive thing, rusted and large, daunting. And the metal hasp it attached to was no longer attached to the door, held up only by the rusted lock on one side! The door could be opened, closed again...and appear to all to be safely secured.

The previous vampire had been no fool, had worked to find and create a safe home. Alucard was content.

But lonely. So very lonely, and lost, and miserable, and bewildered.

He'd found a safe hiding place, he'd found clothing. But he was exhausted and starving and could feel his mind crumbling under the stress, was reaching the end of his resources.

Tomorrow, he'd try to eat. But not tonight. Not tonight.

x x x x x x

Finding the bodies, or at least their dust, had told them the initial direction the missing Alucard had taken. Ignoring the possible hiding places the other direction from his home, Abraham began focusing on cemetaries near this one.

And that was when they found their next vampire. It was a male, oddly enough without a coffin, and Abraham initially thought it was a transient that had selected the crypt as a safe place to sleep. Scrawny and young, it had wedged itself behind a coffin in a dark corner and curled up to sleep, looking for all the world like a terribly mistreated and starved human. The lack of motion, its lack of breathing, made him briefly sad, thinking he'd found the body of a young man who'd died miserable and alone. And then the light from the door, though indirect, had woken it.

It had only snarled at them briefly, weakly, before their bullets turned it to dust. The constables that were accompanying them were the ones that had been with them when they found the first two bodies, and they'd seen the blood boil away and turn to ashes. Abraham had promised them a fuller story later, knowing their reactions to the concept of vampires would not have been positive until they'd encountered one themselves. Chances were they'd try to have him committed! He'd been briefly amused at Seward's probable reaction if they'd place him in that man's care...but only briefly.

Now that they'd seen an apparently dead body come to life, sprout fangs, snarl, and turn to dust when shot, they were considerably more receptive to his explanation. He didn't bother to tell them, yet, where Alucard had come from. But knowing that he was chasing a fleeing vampire and seeing positive proof of the existence of vampires brought them around to his side, made them far more helpful.

And so he gave them silver bullets, a brief set of instructions on how to kill vampires, and on they went as a part of his small, but growing, group.

x x x x x x

Hungry. It was time to eat. He was weak enough that simply attempting to exit the coffin was becoming difficult, but he made it upright, and stopped to think.

Food. Where could he find it? Hospitals had food, Abraham had said so. Blood, yes.

No, no, he was stupid, being stupid, foolish. He couldn't go into a hospital. Hide, he had to hide. Hide, but eat.

It took time to think, to wake fully, but the night was still young when he left to find a meal. Following the train tracks a short distance brought him to a road. The tracks were lower here, and the road arched over them on a bridge. Wise, considering the constant traffic of the trains. A thick double-trestle plank bridge crossed both sets of tracks, the tracks themselves set in a cut through the hillside.

Good, very good. A grin split his face. The bridge was not tall, but the road ran uphill to it, and the peak of the bridge would block the view of anyone approaching. If he waited until a train was near to attack, the noise would hide any screams or sounds. And down the hillside was brush and shrubs, tall enough and knotty enough that he could pull a victim into them and be unseen.

So he stood on the bridge, and waited in the dark, confident that no one could see him in the dark outside of another vampire. With the train station so near, there should be traffic...and there was.

He crouched in the brush, watching the road, waiting as the potential victims he'd sighted came into view, patient as any predator stalking its prey.

The first few were wagons of freight, driven by burly men and never alone. Always there were at least two, and he was reluctant to attack a man in any case. Frightening, frightening...no men!

A woman came along, but on the horses beside her rode a handful of men. Not safe, no, though the sight of her made him drool. So hungry! But he swallowed his saliva, staying hidden.

An entire family, complete with children. He rarely ate children, considering them unworthy prey and tasteless, but they would be safe. A child couldn't hurt him. And he watched them pass with wide, hungry red eyes. The father was there.

More and more, but the night grew later and the traffic lighter. There had been no one that he could safely take. But he was a predator, and he was hungry. If he had to wait until the sky pinked and return again tomorrow, he would.

And then, finally, prey arrived. He was so weak and tired that he nearly didn't reach the road in time! The horse was a sleek high-stepping gray palfrey, ridden competently by a trim young woman. She could have been an obese elderly matriarch, covered in warts, and he honestly would not have cared at this time. Alone, alone, she was alone!

He lunged to the top of the hill, the horse cantering towards him and nearly past him before he could reach the top. But luck was with him; a train was coming, the engine still far down the tracks...and it sounded its whistle.

The horse spooked briefly, jumping sideways and stopping, head tossing, and in that extra moment he made it onto the road. Staggering with fatigue, entirely focused on the woman, he lunged out of the low bushes, across the road, and grabbed at her legs.

She shouted, angry, not frightened, and she was solidly seated on her horse. His own, frantic pull was no match for her sturdy knee brace and competent horsemanship. Another pull might have done it, the horse now shying and pulling away, challenging her as well. He could almost taste that sweet blood! But another furious shout, and she brought her horsewhip down on his face.

He shrieked; the short crop had slashed across an eye and down his cheek, and while not silver, he was so hungry that it HURT! Stunned, he temporarily lost his grip on her, and the whip rose again, slapping down on the horse's hindquarters. The grey bunch its legs underneath and leapt away, clattering across the bridge, gone away with its rider.

Shaken and hungry, the vampire crept back into the brush. Hurt, he hurt. She'd fought him, hurt him...and in his mind, women began to assume a level of danger close to that of a man.

He curled up, whimpering. Hungry, so hungry. Nothing to eat. Nothing. He hadn't had to hunt a meal in so long, Abraham had brought him his meals. Before that, he'd simply seduced women, and he remembered foggily the pleasure of such an experience.

But now, he had to fall back on long-disused skills. And he was too weak, frightened, and starved.

No one else passed by that he was brave enough to accost. Had a blind, crippled, elderly woman limped past him, he admitted he'd probably have been intimidated by the cane. And then he heard the voice of the woman, speaking.

"Right over this hill, he was. Came out of the dark and grabbed me." She was returning, and this time, she brought company, someone to capture him, hurt him!

With a gasp, he scrambled away, fleeing back towards his safe crypt. He'd have to try again tomorrow, in a new place. For tonight, he scrambled at the door, forgetting that the lock was not truly blocking his entrance, diving into the coffin to huddle in it, sobbing.

He was far too dry to produce any tears.

Before dawn had even lightened the sky, exhaustion had driven him into sleep. The lid was open, Alucard able to bear a coffin but not to be enclosed, instead settling for pulling the heavy and sour-smelling horse blanket over himself. Long before the sun rose, he was curled tightly inside, exhausted and miserable and starving.

x x x x x x x

The next night, he rose far past dark. He was so tired, so weak...it was all he could do. Crawling to the door, he managed that much, waking slowly and struggling. Once there, he used the door frame, pulling himself upright with it assistance. He was so weak, so tired. There was no chance of him finding a new hunting place. Not now.

And it was a slow and painful trip to the road. He didn't even try to make it up the hill, simply crouched among the low bushes, eyes vaguely focused on the road, and hoping for a miracle.

x x x x

"Here, you!" A man! Alucard's head jerked up, he'd fallen asleep, too starved and weak to be alert. And he'd been seen, a teamster with a pair of heavy horses and a laden wagon had stopped on the road before him. Eyes blinking madly, trying to focus, he saw the man stepping down, concern in his eyes.

Stephen had been driving the lead wagon of their small procession, taking the products of the lumberyard to the station to be shipped away. As the lead wagon, he'd added a few extra lanterns, and the light was just bright enough for him to see the old man's white hair gleaming by the road.

He waved a halt to the wagons behind him, pulling his own team to a stop, grabbing a lantern. The poor man! Had the old man fallen ill, been injured? His mind was already planning how to reach a doctor and what to do. He called out, hoping that the man was awake, would respond, a loud, "Here, you!" that was rewarded by a twitch and the lifting of the head.

The old man blinked at him, clearly confused and needing help, and Stephen swiftly hopped down from the high wagon seat to go and provide him with that help. It was a cold night, he had a blanket under the seat, would that...and his train of thought ended abruptly.

The old man snarled at him, the light of his lantern picking out a set of teeth that belonged in the mouth of a guard dog, not in an old man. And it HISSED at him! Shocked into stillness, he moved to grab the truncheon at his belt. It was useful against the typical bandit or thief, but he wasn't facing that, he was facing a monster!

A monster that had already spun about and darted into the concealing brush. Raising his lantern high, Stephen backed up to his wagon and his patient team, arm trembling.

"Stephen?" The voice was high-pitched and strangled, the sound of a man that had just received quite a fright. The man in the wagon behind him...he had seen everything. Men. The men in the wagon behind him, for two of them rode on the seat.

He wasn't mad. The monster had been there. He was quick to reassure them that he was alright, then whipped the heavy horses into an unaccustomed trot the last half mile to the station!

x x x x x x x

The attack on the woman wasn't reported to him directly, no. But the constables had turned out to be an amazing amount of assistance, going to the local stations and chatting with the other officers. And so Abraham had learned about the man that had attempted to assault the young woman. Nothing overly suspicious about that, it had been a woman alone at night, though she was on a fast horse, moving quickly on a heavily-traveled road.

What was more suspicious is that the road was directly beside a graveyard, the nearest graves barely a stones-throw away from the attack. It was already late in the day, too late to search the graveyard, and so he and his fellow hunters took rooms at the inn by the station. Noisy rooms, for the trains rattled about, with the bellows of stock being loaded and the clatter of wagons loud and constant through the night. It was a commercial hub, not a passenger hub, bringing in supplies from the surrounding small towns and farms to send to London, bringing the fine goods from London back out to the rural area.

When the first news that morning was gossip about the strange man the teamsters had seen, he felt a rush of both relief and dread.

Alucard. It had to be Alucard. But white hair? Was the beast not eating? Was he lucky enough to have damaged the creature so bad that it was unable to exist on its own, provide for itself?

The constables had compared notes. The description the woman had given matched with the one that the men had provided. An old man, very thin, long white hair, with ill-fitting clothes. It had been too dark for her to give any better details, too far for the men to have seen more. But it seemed to be the same person...and while it might be no more than a senile old man, the isolation and the cemetary made Abraham hope against hope it was his vampire.

Twice now they'd found a vampire and it hadn't been his, though they'd dispatched it quickly enough. First that male, then they'd found yet another vampire only a day ago. A female this time, looking like a young maiden, a fresh corpse sleeping inside a tomb that hadn't had a fresh corpse in many, many years. He'd driven the stake in, but not completely, and it had been a near thing. She'd lunged out at him, and they'd had to shoot at her. Abraham hadn't liked that. Bullets were flying about in a stone room and a ricochet was far too dangerous, not to mention the painfully loud cracks of the firing guns.

One of the things he'd done immediately upon arriving at the station was find a jeweler. There were no houses, but with the amount of traffic that came to and from the station, a busy set of stop had been established. He had bought every single silver chain the jeweler had available, from tiny delicated ones to thick one designed for a heavy locket, from inexpensive large and coarse rings with a debased silver alloy to luxurious and expensive silver cords with a rich luster that glowed in the lights. He'd also purchased some more mundane cordage. They'd stake the bastard, remove his head, shoot him several times if need be, but first they'd tie him up while he slept. That female had nearly taken him out, and if he didn't destroy Alucard immediately, he didn't want the creature angry, mobile and after him!

It was quite a dent in his bank account, but he felt far safer with the mass of heavy silver chains and thick ropes. He'd had a busy evening finding those supplies, and a poor night's sleep. And this morning, they'd be going to find his vampire.

Everyone was nervous and worried, though they hid it fairly well from each other. But he and Father Jacobs were not only worried, were not only anxious about what was to likely come...they dreaded it.

They'd both been somewhat fond of the vampire, protective of it, had seen it when it was not being predatory but rather...sociable, meek, timid. Neither one was denying the need to kill the beast now.

But that didn't mean that they wanted to. It was a painful and unpleasant duty they were going to perform, sad and tragic, not merely dangerous.

x x x x x x x x

Finding the vampire was almost anticlimatic.

The cemetary was small, the number of possible hiding places could be counted on a single hand. And when they'd attempted to pry the door open, and the lock had been revealed to be a farce...he knew.

Abraham entered, the priest at his shoulder, the minister, constables, and others crowding behind. It was easy to see, at a glance, which coffin Alucard had claimed, for not only was its niche free of cobwebs, the vampire had left the lid open. A glance inside showed a face and form covered by a rough blanket.

The vampire slept, and so Abraham carefully lifted a corner of the blanket to see the beast's face. It was most definitely Alucard, though far too thin and pale haired. He'd need several bottles to-

No. He wasn't feeding the beast again. He was here to kill it.

With the priest's help, the room simply too small to allow the others close, the coffin was pulled out further into the room, more accessible. The silver chains were brought forward, the lid opened completely, the blanket pulled back...

And the vampire's truly pathetic form became obvious.

It had been gone several days, and apparently had not eaten since that first night, if that had indeed been his kills. The coffin was splattered with dried blood, it appeared Alucard had carried it here all the way from that other cemetary. His vampire must have killed the other vampire or vampires, taken the coffin away for his own use.

And he'd fled. Abraham was partly amazed that the vampire had not gone farther, partly amazed that he'd made it that far considering the terrible condition he was in. Fled to hide from HIM, no less, and Abraham felt again that terrible sick sense of guilt.

The vampire had killed someone, perhaps three someones. Ignoring the voice inside that pointed out what had been happening when the first someone died, and that he didn't know for certain Alucard had murdered the other two, he pulled the blanket away entirely, debating how best to restrain the vampire so that they could safely dispose of it.

"Let's wrap it inside the blanket." At his puzzled glance, Father Jacob's continued. He'd seen Abraham's long look at the vampire, and his own heart had broken a bit at the clear misery it had experienced. Abraham had told him in all honesty what had happened. The vampire had murdered someone, though obviously provoked by the assault. But then it had threatened Abraham, escaped when it traveled through the walls. The beast could kill, had killed, could not be contained...it wasn't safe to keep it alive any longer.

He couldn't argue with that, but seeing the starved form curled into a tight ball, hair white, face miserable even in sleep, he hurt for the beast. But they had to kill it. And so he'd broken the silence, suggesting to Abraham how they might restrain it so that they could safely destroy it.

"Silver will burn it. That blanket is thick and tough. We can wrap it around him, then wrap the chains and ropes around the blanket." A gesture took in the starving beast. "Even if he woke up while we were...the stake..." and he paused, mind picturing briefly what he'd be doing to his erstwhile guest, "He'd be unable to move."

The others agreed, and the vampire was carefully wrapped in the blanket, though still in the coffin. Next, the chains about it, and Seward pointed out that they ought to restrain the head somehow, too. It wasn't just the claws that posted a danger, the beast could twist up and bite, too!

A few moments more passed while they put together a sort of halter, tying the monster's jaw shut with a rope under the jaw and over the head, looped tight. Another pair of cords around his temple and across the mouth kept the rope from sliding off, and a piece of the thick blanket covered the mouth itself. With no hands, even flinging his head around wouldn't avail the vampire. With the sun up, the vampire kept in the coffin, it didn't even twitch, remaining soundly asleep.

Alucard soon lay trussed in front of them. And Abraham remembered how thin those arms had been under his hands, how prominent the ribs, how light the body was. The vampire was so starved, so mad...it was time to put it out of its misery.

Johnathan handed him the stake and mallet, and a few guns came out about him as the others prepared for the vampire to wake and attack.

He lifted the stake, placing it over the heart...and brought the mallet down in a solid blow. Another few strikes, and it would all be over...

The vampire woke.

x x x x x

Alucard arched under his hands, the agonized keening muffled by the straps and cloth, and the mallet swept up as he prepared another blow. The red eyes opened, wide with agony and pain, darting about, then finally seeing the mallet raised above.

And then the eyes saw Abraham, and the pain turned to terror, the keening changing to frantic shrieks of pure fear.

The beast was so frightened, it ignored the upraised mallet entirely, ignored what had to be incredible pain from the stake embedded in it, eyes seeing only Abraham and full of such incredible fear and panic and despair that Abraham found his mallet dropping.

Alucard was more frightened of him than of dying.

This was the same vampire that barely more than a week previously had followed him around like a puppy, been so pleased to find the missing cotter pin, that had obediently scrubbed and cleaned and obeyed unless Abraham moved more than a yard or so away, needing his presence, relying on him to keep it safe.

Seeing that look of complete terror on a face that had previously been full of devotion and need...it nearly broke Abraham. Alucard had saved his life, too...how had he forgotten that? He couldn't kill him. He simply couldn't.

The vampire thrashed weakly, trying to escape, to move away, but so weak it could do no more than partially roll on its side. Moaning in fear, the eyes clenched shut, too frightened, too broken to see what would happen next.

x x x x

John stepped forward, picking up the fallen mallet, pushing past the frozen Abraham, prepared to finish the beast off himself.

And two large sturdy arms lifted him up and moved him away, Father Jacobs speaking in his ear, "Not now. Not ever."

And the priest moved to stand beside Abraham, watching the rapidly weakening vampire twitch and cease to move as the blood drained away.


	77. Chapter 77

Ch 77

There were shouts. Arguments.

He was simply waiting to be hurt again. What little strength he'd possessed had been wasted in a futile attempt to escape. The rich chocolate lining of the coffin was all he could see, and even that wavered.

It was over.

Not even a week. And Abraham had found him.

All he could do now was hope that he would be destroyed, ended...not kept as a toy, a bedmate, a subject for experimentation, amusement, pleasure.

And instead of the stake, he felt the pressure of hands, felt himself lifted, the stake removed. No, they would not be killing him.

He'd have wailed his terror and sorrow, but they'd gagged him as well as tied him. He was nothing more than a helpless bundle that they'd do with as they pleased.

The coffin lid closed, the dim light reaching his eyes vanishing entirely, and he tried to shriek his fear. Yes, Master was going to abuse him, punish him, and there was naught he could do.

And Master had begun by closing him in the coffin.

x x x x x x

They'd thought the beast too weak to make any noise at all, though they'd removed the stake piercing its chest. Alucard was going back to the Van Helsing estate, and if Abraham had to keep him trussed and gagged and starved to keep him contained, well, that was what would be done. Within a week, the expert on wards and spells would have arrived, and at that point the vampire would be either permanently bound or destroyed.

If he could be kept safely, Abraham had only begun to learn about vampires from him. If he could not be kept safely...well, Abraham would have tried. For now, though, the beast was entirely terrified.

The trip from the mausoleum to the waiting coach was brief, but the vampire's weak and breathless keening was audible to the men moving the coffin. The sunlight was too bright, the vampire too damaged, to try and move it without the dark safety of a coffin.

Alucard clearly didn't agree, but he'd simply have to bear it for those few minutes.

The coffin rasped across the coach floor, barely fitting between the seats, and Mina and Johnathan hurried to pull the window curtains closed. Thick and heavy and meant to maintain privacy for the wealthy using the coach, they were sufficient to keep the vampire safe. The others settled in, crammed about, two riding with the coachman, and Abraham struggled to lift the half-lid in the enclosed space.

As soon as it opened, the vampire quieted, though the eyes remained nearly closed, the beast motionless.

The carriage was beyond cramped at this point. It wasn't the lack of seating...it was the lack of floorspace! With half an hour, the carriage was stopped, the vampire pulled from the coffin with its face covered, and the coffin placed on top.

Alucard was settled upright on a seat, wedged between Abraham and Father Jacobs, slumped against Abraham. He seemed entirely asleep...except that instead of a relaxed expressionless slumber, his face seemed utterly miserable.

x x x x x

Day, so tired. But so scared. And hungry. Starving. And then hands again, lifing him and moving him about, taking him from the questionable safety of his stolen coffin. He was sitting, the scents of Abraham and Father Jacobs strong in his nose.

Father Jacobs? His spirits lifted slightly from their nadir. The Father had taken care of him before. Rescued him and protected him when lost, even fed him. Rushed him into the darkness of the crypt when he was trapped in the sunlight. It was a male, yes...frightening on that basis. But...on that basis alone.

Perhaps the man would protect him from Abraham? Perhaps not. But there was hope in this thought, and he refused to release that bit of hope now that it had appeared.

So hungry. And now he could FEEL Abraham under his cheek, the blood rushing by only a scarce couple of inches from his fangs. The scent of the man tormented him with both terror and starvation.

Middle of the day or not, away from his coffin, starved, terrified...he was unable to find the oblivion of sleep. 


	78. Chapter 78

Ch 78

They'd settled the vampire in its coffin, but with so many minds working on a solution to its fear, one had been found.

Alucard didn't lie flat in his coffin, but propped up by several pillows, lifing his head partway out of it. It looked entirely ridiculous, but the near-inaudible keening stopped at that point, and the lids sagged the rest of the way closed.

The creature had to be exhausted. It was starved down to skin and bones again, and had spent a full week away from its home earth. Right now, it was back in its earth-lined room, with the bag of earth at its side, resting in its coffin. They'd brought the other coffin down as well, in case the vampire preferred it to its original coffin, and Abraham wondered briefly where it had come from.

He suspected that the lone male vampire they'd found and killed had been the coffin's former owner.

"He needs to be fed." Father Jacob's proclamation was firm and unwavering on this, his eyes on the vampire, lying silently, still gagged and trussed.

"If I feed him, he might have the energy needed to escape those bonds." Abraham's voice was thin with fatigue but every bit as determined as Jacobs'. "Besides, I haven't any blood to feed him. I cancelled the deliveries when he went missing, not thinking I'd ever need them again."

"Abraham," the priest sighed, settling himself down into the chair by the door, ignoring the watchers in the hallway. "You've said yourself he obeyed you. He was out and about with the men and you each night, and never so much as threatened. When Sean died...the beast was certainly provoked. Attacking a sleeping vampire at sunset...it was insane. And the results entirely predictable." Abraham began to protest, and the priest raised a hand, stopping him. "EVEN AFTER killing Sean, the vampire didn't try to escape, did it?" A slow shake of Abraham's head. "You had to fire at it with silver bullets for it to leave. And if I were a vampire, just awakened, attacked only minutes previously, and being shot with silver bullets, I'd have fled too." Those calm eyes watched Abraham, now waiting for a response.

"Father, I agree with you...but...I can't control him now. And he's killed someone. And what about the woman he attacked? Loosing him again...no. Before I was certain that he could be safely locked away down here. Now, I could feed him and he could flee again."

Father Jacobs had to admit Abraham had a point. But there was something else to consider, too.

"Abraham...right now, that vampire is surrounded by hunters and he's exhausted. I don't think he's going to be going anywhere, food or not. And I've thought of something else, too. Silver and blessed items stop him. And I'm a priest." A wry grin up at Abraham. "So how much holy water do you think we'd need to coat the ceiling and the hallway wall?"

The conversation moved upstairs at this point, each person contributing their own ideas and suggestions. The vampire was not fed that night, no. But when it woke the next evening, they'd be ready for it.

x x x x x x x

Alucard woke. He was restored, somewhat, from his earth, more coherent. But weak, so weak he could't even move. Or could he not move because he was bound? He didn't know, not anymore, couldn't tell. But he didn't hurt, other than the sheer gnawing pain of hunger, and that was an improvement.

Blood...there was blood. BLOOD! He swallowed, but the blood came slowly, and it tasted different. And it took him a few moments to realize that it was from a living human. His eyes pulled open, who? Abraham. The man leaned over him, and there was a brief flash of Sean, leaning over him.

He choked, eyes wide with fear, and Abraham pulled back from him, taking the blood away. What was the man doing?

But away, away...not threatening him, no, not even close enough to touch. The panic faded, and Alucard licked at his lips, trying to take in every bit of blood. He was trying to watch Abraham, see what the man was doing, but his eyes kept being pulled back to the hand and the blood dripping from it.

Speech. Abraham was saying something. What? He didn't know, couldn't tell, could only watch the red blood seeping down Abraham's wrist.

No! Abraham was moving closer...but the arm with the wounded hand was outstretched, was he going to be fed more?

Yes...and while he suckled at the small cut, his red eyes remained fixed on Abraham, wary, expecting at any more for the man to do something dangerous, unexpected. Or, he tried to watch Abraham. But the hot blood, though there was so little of it, was making his head spin with the richness and heat, twisting his stomach as his body pulled every bit of it in as quickly as possible, a combination of intense pleasure and needy discomfort, and he found himself swooning.

Abraham was speaking again, and that cut through the fog of his feeding bliss. This time, the words made sense, though if asked to repeat them the vampire would have been at a loss. Abraham was done feeding him, he was supposed to stop. And so he did. It hadn't been much blood, perhaps a couple mouthfuls, nowhere near enough, but he felt so much better for it already.

Automatically, eyes still cautiously on Abraham but far less suspiciously, he licked the cut closed. There had been blood, it had run down the hand to the wrist...his tongue flicked out, cleaning the arm, tracing that little trickling stain, cleaning it away as well.

x x x x x x

Fredrick watched, amazed, as amazed as the others in the hallway. The constables had gone on to return to their patrols and stations, though the elderly minister and Father Jacobs had remained. Those two men had worked to bless and sanctify Host, wine, and Holy Water, and the rest of them had worked to mix up plaster with the resulting substances. The ceiling and wall were still damp, in fact, with the grayish and purplish plaster. Even the door had been soaked with layer after layer of Holy Water. The silver chains had been blessed, too, and once the vampire was unwrapped a few of them had also been embedded in the plaster.

The floor, with its tracery of silver, was left alone. It should be a physical barrier. And if not...making it painful for the beast to walk about or move at all was unconscionable cruel. The floor should be impervious already, the silver tracings keeping the beast at bay.

He'd actually expected the monster to go for Abraham's throat. He'd seen what it had done to Sean, and it had tried for the lady on her horse as well. They were all waiting with guns at hand, ready to fire on the beast. It was unwrapped, unmuzzled, and Abraham was so close to it...

And it was terrified of the man. Absolutely terrified. When it calmed enough to resume its meal, it did so...daintily. There wasn't any attempt to bite, to sink fangs into Abraham, to ghoul or kill him. Just quiet, wet sounds of feeding, the vampire looking dazed and frightened at intervals.

Amazing.

And after its light meal, Abraham spoke to it, commanding it to stay in the room, letting it know that it would have a much larger meal the next night.

Red eyes watched carefully as Abraham rose and left. And as soon as Abraham was out the door, it moved.

x x x x x x x

Abraham peered through the window, at Father Jacob's side, watching the beast. Alucard had been absolutely motionless until the door closed behind him...and then had struggled out of the coffin and crawled to his corner, red eyes watching the people watching him. Someone, he thought perhaps Arthur, backed into or otherwise knocked over one of the spare lanterns in the hallway. At the noise, the vampire jerked, hissing, his back colliding with the wall and adding its own hiss.

He pulled forward from it, wrapped his arms about his body, and simply shook.

He looked like he'd been dragged through Hell face-down. The ridiculous clothes-and where had he found those?- were ill fitting to an extreme. He was dirty, having been spending the last week traveling through the country, hiding in mausoleums, lurking in mud and bushes to ambush travelers. And he was far, far too thin.

If the vampire behaved tonight, he'd remedy most of those by tomorrow evening. 


	79. Chapter 79

Ch 79

They'd taken it in turns to sit watch over the vampire from the hallway. The Harkers first , Quincy and John Seward, Fredrick and Daniel, and for the last stretch until dawn, Father Jacobs and minster, Father Michael. Father Michael had insisted that at his age, he didn't need much sleep at all and was, indeed, bright-eyed and wide-awake. He and Father Jacobs were seated on the comfortable armchairs that had been wrestled down the stairs, and using their time to talk about how the vampire had come to be. Every bit, they'd look through the window, seeing the vampire still huddled in its corner, cringing away when it realized they watched it.

Father Michael had never encountered a vampire before joining them, but he was willing to share the full story of the beast that he'd encountered. It had been taken down with blessed boar-spears and the efforts of a near-dozen villagers when he'd been barely more than child himself, a monstrous beast. As big as a bear, it had been, though clearly some sort of dog, and it had shown up from nowhere they'd ever found, slaughtering sheep out on the moors.

The shepherds had gone to hunt what they thought was simply a sheep-killing dog, and found the monster's lair...and the monster. When they didn't return, a larger party had been sent, far better armed. The third time, it had been seasoned fighters and hunters, with the backing of a priest, and they'd taken the beast down.

Fredrick might have been able to identify what it had been, and Father Jacobs told Michael so. Then he rose to check on the beast, to see it relaxed far more, head cocked curiously, as though it had been listening.

Alucard probably had been. The poor beast must be lonely and bored as well, and Father Jacobs reached a snap decision. He might not have been so cavalier about this had he seen the mangled remains of Sean, but he hadn't...and he hadn't seen Alucard act in any manner but timid and frightened, except when it had relaxed beside him.

Lonely, bored, and hungry. To Father Michaels consternation, he excused himself from the conversation, promising to finish it later...and rose to enter Alucard's room. The vampire drew back, hissing and spitting, fear naked on its face, and Father Michael's cry of fear and warning drew a breathless scream from the beast.

Father Jacobs ignored it, stepping back out into the hallway to wrestle his chair back into the room, turned half-away from the vampire so he wouldn't be watching it. Settling comfortably into his chair, ignoring the beast, he took up his conversation with Father Michaels as though the interuption had never happened.

And instead, he told the story of how he'd met the vampire, from his initial thought that someone had dumped a half-mad albino on him to the accident with the cot. By then, the vampire had calmed down, considerably, watching him with only a cautious wariness and far less fear. Father Michael's startled interjections and occasional questions bothered Alucard at first, but before long, the beast was ignoring them, eyes focused only on Father Jacobs.

By the time he'd finished describing Arthur and John's raid, the vampire had crept across the room and curled up beside him. He hadn't heard it move, but Michael had indicated what had happened, his soft voice not startling the creature.

"You have a guest again, Jacobs. Right behind your right elbow." He'd smiled a bit at Father Michael, well pleased with his soothing of the monster, and the old man had grinned back at him, equally delighted.

Moving carefully, so as not to frighten the beast, Jacobs pulled out his pocketknife. Not cleaned off, no, but he expected the vampire would take care of that problem. If it could save Abraham's leg, it could handle any infection in a little cut. It took only a moment, and then he waited as the blood welled up, the scent on the air.

A shaggy white head lifted beside him, red eyes peering over the armrest, nostrils working as Alucard scented the blood. The beast startled a bit as he draped his arm over the edge, and he went on with his story. As he told of Alucard creeping out to the carriage, the lips met the wound.

By the time he reached the healing of Abraham, the vampire was purring slightly, and he was noticing the loss of blood himself. He stopped the story, asking Alucard quietly to heal the wound.

The vampire didn't even startle, just nodded slightly and licked it closed, then curled up against the chair, half-dozing. The hair had darkened, not black yet, but close, though the vampire remained rail-thin.

He finished the story of Abraham's healing, then related with amusement trying to explain why there was glass in his yard and the window had been broken OUTWARDS. Lying might be one of the seven deadly sins, but in this case it had been unavoidable, and he'd explained that he'd taken in a stray dog that had been frightened by unexpected visitors and bolted out the window.

By then, the vampire was yawning mightily, showing far more and sharper teeth than he'd expected. The sun had likely been up for several minutes, and as he watched Alucard, he remembered what Abraham had told him.

"If you'll sleep, I'll place you in the coffin."

Red eyes considered this, looking frightened at the thought, staring at the coffin while the beast pondered.

"No, thank you." Quiet, but the vampire was speaking! Father Jacobs rejoiced a bit inside, and watched as the vampire moved to its coffin. Walking, not creeping, then standing over it, arms hugging itself tightly as it swayed for a few moments. Decision reached, it moved to sit in the coffin, plumping and adjusting pillows until it could lean back, head still out of the coffin.

It panted, clearly deeply distressed, but the panting slowed...and it dropped off to sleep.

Abraham would be delighted the vampire had been able to speak. The others would be furious that he'd fed it and placed himself at risk.

He wondered if he ought to change his title to "Priest and Vampire-tamer." 


	80. Chapter 80

Ch 80

Abraham had not been happy that Alucard had recovered so tremendously, and he'd missed it. Still, he'd gathered the clean clothes for the beast, warm water, towels, and gone in late in the morning to give the vampire a solid cleaning. It had taken time, as they were reluctant to move the vampire out of its coffin, or to get the coffin itself wet. But with both priests and Abraham working on the beast, they'd gotten him back to his pristine, marble-white self.

The blood had arrived, too. Abraham had considered feeding the beast while it was asleep, but decided to use it as a lever for his cooperation in the evening.

They'd left the vampire asleep in its coffin by early afternoon, shiningly clean, with damp hair spread across the pillows to dry. It was wearing its clean clothes, complete with slippers, and Abraham had rested its hat on its chest.

He'd hoped that the care he'd shown for the beast would calm it down.

The sun set, and they all waited anxiously at the windows to see what the recovered monster would do.

x x x x x x

Alucard woke slowly, comfortably. Coffin, he was in his coffin! But as his eyes cracked open, he saw only ceiling, not the sides of his coffin, not at all. Not trapped, no. And the tension ebbed away into a mere taut wariness, the vampire slowly waking further.

Who was there? Was he alone? Memories of his waking, with Sean above him, led his eyes to dart about the room. No one there, alone, though...yes. He could hear them in the hallway outside. A tentive sniff. Soap, he could smell soap, he was cleaned...

They'd bathed him. He could smell Abraham on the air, and Father Jacobs, and a man he didn't know. They had held him while he was naked, touched him to wash him. Bad enough for Master or Priest, but he didn't know the third man! Terror forced a brief keen from his throat as he fought to determine if Abraham had brought the stranger down to violate him.

No, no, not...maybe. No filth in him. Good. But what had they done? What had HE done? Panic rose in him as he realized that three men, three men had been there, touching and cleaning him and whatever they had pleased. Master had that right, though he dreaded and feared Abraham exercising that right. But the man had reclaimed him, caught him again, it was his right. Father Jacobs...worrisome, but not overly so, but stressful. But a strange man? Too much!  
>Sobbing, he wrenched himself from the coffin, scrambling to his corner to hiss and snarl at the eyes he knew watched him from the hall.<p>

If they chose to attack him, there was little he could do. He spit and snarled, hoping they'd stay away, terrified that they wouldn't.

They didn't.

He heard the outer door open, and swayed, moaning in his fear.

Then the inner door opened, admitting Abraham, and he panicked. It was far, far too like his previous experience.

He dashed away, expecting at any moment to be pierced by a silver bullet, for Abraham to force himself up on his vampire, to be hurt or abused, somehow.

x x x x x x

The vampire had woken up calmly enough initially, and Abraham had prepared to speak to him through the window. He needed to explain to the vampire about the new barriers, reassure it that dinner was there and it would be fed, was hoping to ask it questions, talk to it.

Those plans went out the window when the vampire woke and panicked. It was out of the coffin and into its corner in the blink of an eye, hissing and snarling and panting and shaking.

No. Alucard was nowhere near recovered. With a sigh, he picked up the bottles. He'd take them in and show them to the vampire, then leave the poor beast to eat in peace.

He expected the vampire to shrink back further into the corner and hiss at him, and he hoped that his calm and disinterest and the presence of food would help Alucard settle down.

Instead, as he entered and moved towards the coffin, the vampire went from frozen panic into mindless and kinetic panicking. It dashed towards the wall, where it had passed through before...only to collide with the damp plaster. Alucard pulled back, shrieking, bits of damp plaster sticking to him, stunned by the collision and immediately in pain as the plaster burned into him.

Abraham cursed, seeing the smoke rising from Alucard's skin as the flecks and chunks of plaster, mixed with holy substances, seared into the beast. He moved quickly, intending to wipe the bits off the vampire's face, neck, hands...and as he moved to the vampire, it shook off its dazed expression and shrieked again.

Eyes huge, almost unseeing in fear, Alucard sprinted to the door, rebounding off that as well with a solid thud as the door slammed against its frame.

The vampire's speed only increased, lunging about the room, shrieking nonstop, clawing at the walls, immersed in mindless panic. Fingers smoked, bones shattered as it beat and clawed at the walls, its ear-piercing ululations never ceasing. It was reminiscent of the first time the vampire had done so, but more tragic as the vampire was no freshly-trapped monster, but had been a part of Abraham's household for months.

This was its home. Abraham was its Master. He'd cleaned it, clothed it, brought it food. The night before, it had been speaking, coherent, according to the priests, and he'd entered with such high hopes for his vampire.

And now his presence had it mutilating itself in its attempts to escape him.

He bent quickly to take the lids off the four bottles of blood, then backed out the door, leaving his monster to panic in its room.

x x x x x

Solemn faces met his in the hallway.

"Well...the room will hold him, at least." Abraham's voice was rough with emotion, and he scrubbed at his face with a hand, resting his forehead against his hand briefly, at a loss and deeply saddened by the vampire's reaction.

"I'll give him time to settle, then try again in a few hours." He looked up at Father Jacobs. "I'd like you to come with me then."

"Of course." Father Jacobs' eyes darted to the window, glancing briefly and sadly at the frantic vampire.

"In the meantime, Fredrick, Daniel, would you speak with our other guests about what we've learned?" a pause, then, "I would like some time alone to think."

The others moved upstairs to cover the results of their research. Abraham went out to sit in the little courtyard where he'd first brought Alucard. His lips curled up in a smile as he remembered the monster's cautious creep across the path to the tree, the delight with which it had explored the small yard. Such a silly beast.

He hoped he hadn't destroyed it for good. Damn Sean, whatever had possessed the man? 


	81. Chapter 81

Ch 81

He wasn't sure how long he had been left alone. The panic had faded, he'd realized that no one was in the chamber with him, and he'd calmed a bit, unwrapping himself from the hunched ball of fear he'd formed.

Stiff, he was stiff, he HURT...but still cautious, he froze, listening and sniffing.

No one. No one was there. Not in the room, or the hallway. They'd left him alone, entirely alone.

Safe.

And blood, he smelled blood, not just the burned bits of blood on his fingers, but human blood. Uncurling farther, he craned his head, looking about the room, keeping an ear out for anyone returning.

There was blood by his coffin.

It took a few more moments for him to recognize the strange shapes as bottles, for his brain to unlock further and to remember how to eat from them, and then he found himself scuttling to them, whining in his hunger.

He grabbed the first bottle awkwardly in shattered hands. No lid? No cork? Why had he expected one? He sucked it down desperately, dropping it to clunk and roll about on the floor as he grabbed the second one.

Only four bottles, normally a full meal and extra, but not enough, not tonight. The bottles rolled about the floor, and he picked each one up, busily polishing the insides with his tongue, getting out as much of his sticky red meal as he could.

Done. Not sated, no. Not full. But not starving either. Still hungry, but hungry...he could handle mere hunger. He'd certainly experienced far worse, and far too often for the last few months.

And still alone. No one had come down while he was eating, and he relaxed further, feeling the blood work through his body, healing hands, face, feet, filling out the thin frame. He relaxed further, slumping against his coffin, allowing himself to rest, to heal, to recover.

And with time, he became less mindless, more himself, and he wondered, beginning to put things together.

He'd woken clean and dressed. Abraham wasn't angry with him, had taken him back. In his own mind, Abraham was Master again, though he lacked the confidence in the permanence of this bond. For some reason, the man had changed his mind. A hand lifted, rubbing at the still-tender place in his chest where the stake had been. Why had the man stopped at one blow?

The ride back...Abraham had taken him out of the coffin, but kept him close. A frown. He could have been tossed on the floor of the carriage, stuffed under a seat like baggage...had instead been given a place on the seat itself. Between Abraham and Father Jacobs. Frightening, then. Terrifying. Torturous, to have the hot blood so close to him, unable to move. But...had they been protecting him?

He'd been fed by Abraham. Not much, but as much as a human could safely give him. Fed, then left to rest, told to stay in his room. Alone in his room, yes...but with people outside the room, though they'd ignored him and he them, too tired and weak and hungry to react unless they opened the door.

And then he'd become aware that the voice outside the door was Father Jacobs, and the priest had entered. Frightening, but...a priest. And he hadn't threatened the vampire, just sat comfortably in the chair. Calming, Alucard had eventually realized that the speech was actually the story of how he'd met Father Jacobs. And he'd remembered, then, feeling safe, feeling rescued.

And, oh, how he needed that again. Father Jacobs had even fed him, then left him to rest. That man wasn't angry at him, either, was taking care of him. So...so had Abraham.

Tonight, he'd woken. Woken clean, woken clothed, no longer half-naked in badly-fitting garments. He'd been washed...but...Jacobs and Master...had they kept him safe with the stranger? He could feel himself undamaged, unsoiled...he'd only been cleaned. No more.

And...yes. A peek in the coffin, and he could see the hat, crumpled into the bottom after his frantic exit. There was his blanket, too. Abraham had restored the clothes to him, the hat, his covering. Still unnerved, he had the hat on his head and blanket about his body almost immediately.

Had Abraham not realized that he'd be so unnerved by the strange man? A deeper sniff, as he thought. An OLD man. Quite old. Still vulnerable to the allure of a vampire, but not foolish, nor as likely to be able to act on it. He thought further. Had this...had this been the man there with Priest?

He thought perhaps so. That man had seemed old, voice not young, not at all. So...perhaps Abraham had trusted him. He wished Master had not, wished so much Master had not let them man see him, touch him...but it was done, and he was unharmed.

Abraham hadn't hurt him tonight, hadn't even shouted at him. Had left the bottles and gone quickly. A realization surfaced. Master had taken the time to remove the caps and corks from the bottles, tried to help him as he could.

And the other coffin was there, too, though he prefered his own, familiar one. Pillows. He had to smile a bit. Centuries and centuries with no pillow, and now a coffin full of them! Humans were so ingenious.

Abraham was taking care of him, not angry. Priest was taking care of him, not angry. They'd both fed him, fed him hot, fresh blood, straight from a vein...and he moaned briefly remembering the incredible strength and flavor of Abraham's blood. He'd been bathed, clothed, given pillows, hat, blanket...fed tonight, again.

Frustratingly contained, though. That un-damned plaster was a pure nuisance. The thought of being trapped caused a frisson of panic to chill him, running cold fingers up his spine, but only briefly. Plaster was thin. He could scrape it off, chip it off...he only needed access to a small area to travel through it. The floor, too...there was space enough between the silver that he could get through that, and fairly quickly.

So not trapped, not so long as he kept his head and didn't panic foolishly over something so simple as Abraham bringing him his meal!

Part depressed at his broken mind, part amused that he'd have been so foolish, and mostly worried about the future, he collected the bottles, placing them in the basket, then pondered.

Perhaps he did have a use for that other coffin after all.

x x x x x x

It was well past midnight when Abraham went back down to check on the beast. He'd another basket with another four bottles, probably not quite enough yet for the beast but close, and all he'd received today. With a little luck, he could place them in the window for the vampire to take and eat. He was worried for the creature, worried and guilty, wondering if he shouldn't have gone ahead and staked it, for it was so miserably frightened. But Jacobs and Michael said it had spoke to them, so perhaps not all was lost.

To his utter shock, the lantern showed the vampire still in the corner...somewhat. It had moved the brown coffin to its favorite corner, both lids open, curled up at the end of it. The blanket wrapped snug about him, a pair of pillows rested between Alucard's back and the wall, and he looked comfortable, like a child curled up in a bed, needing only a book to complete the look. He'd found the hat, too, and wore it low on his head, collar of the coat turned up.

He'd recovered enough to think about his comfort, to rearrange the items in his room, and while Alucard was clearly tense and aware of Abraham's presence, he wasn't wailing in fear, either. Simply watching, with glowing red eyes visible under the brim of the hat.

"Alucard?" Silence, though the red eyes blinked at him and the head lifted slightly. "I brought you four additional bottles of blood. There will be more tomorrow evening." The vampire remained silently watching, and Abraham settled the bottles in the window. The vampire remained in its brown coffin, still silent, still observing everything with those red eyes, expression entirely hidden in the shadows of its hat and coat.

Abraham waited, but Alucard didn't move, didn't respond. He moved away from the windows, expecting to see a white hand pull the bottles out, but as the seconds ticked by, there was no movement, no sign the vampire was there. A peek through the window showed the beast unchanged, still hidden away in the coffin in the corner.

Shoulders slumping, Abraham moved up the stairs, ears straining for any sound of the vampire moving, the rasp of a bottle sliding on stone. But there was nothing. A final stop at the top of the stairs, window with bottle ends barely visible...but visible. And all four bottles untouched.

He left, hoping that when he returned in the morning, the bottles would be gone.

x x x x x

The door clicked shut at the top of the stairs, the sound of Master's heartbeat and breath now gone. Truly gone, and sharp vampiric ears listened as the footsteps moved away down the hall.

Tension dropped from his body. He'd tried to answer Abraham, but the words had caught in his throat, tried to change to a growl or a whine, he didn't know which, and he'd stopped. Abraham hadn't pushed, though, and the bottles tempted him.

Alone and safe. And hungry.

He moved quickly to the windows to lift the bottles, then back to his coffin in the corner. The sides hid his lower body, providing a barrier between him and the humans. It wasn't much, but every little bit was reassuring. Settling comfortably back against his pillows, he drank. Still hungry, but not by much. He checked his body, noting that most of the hollows were gone, all the wounds filled. He'd been so dry, so damaged, that he needed more blood to fill in the hollows, restore his volume.

But he'd had fresh blood, from Master and Priest. He was safe. Concealed again. Alone.

He slumped comfortably, mind and body slowly recovering from the horrendous stresses of the last week.

He still didn't know what Abraham wanted, or why. But the man intended to take care of him. And Priest was there, he'd caught the scent of the man at the window. Priest had been there earlier tonight.

No longer feeling so unprotected, so vulnerable, he dozed, dazed, relaxed, the rest of the night.

Morning found him asleep in his coffin, braced comfortably on the pillows, hat shielding his face from observation, blanket covering his body entirely.

He'd also pulled his brown coffin to the door and blocked the door from swinging open. A hard shove would move it, but with that barrier, even ineffective, he slept sounder. 


	82. Chapter 82

One of my reviewers was quite insistent that Abraham ought to figure out what was going on. And I decided that, as elderly as Father Michael was, he wouldn't have any of the ego problems or self-doubt of a younger man and would be far more aware of what was "normal" for him, and what was an unnatural reaction. And so this chapter was born. :)

Thanks again to all those that reviewed. The very positive reviews and the messages sent back and forth are what triggered this outpouring of chapters lately! Knowing that someone is waiting anxiously for another installment gets me off my butt to post it!

Ch 82

Alucard had definitely calmed over the last few days but was still almost entirely nonverbal. Occasionally either Abraham or Father Jacobs could coax a yes or no out of him, but that was all. And if anyone else, excepting Mina, tried to enter the room, Alucard would turn extremely defensive or hide. Or both.

Father Michael had brought down a literal "midnight snack" for Abraham, and when the man had entered the room, Alucard had ended up crouched behind Abraham, hissing and snarling. It was as well he hadn't been wearing any good clothes downstairs, decided Abraham, as he gently tugged loose the pants fabric from the clenched white hands. His current pants had been perforated. Absent-mindedly, though he KNEW better, he took the tray of snacks with one hand and gave Alucard a reassuring pat on the head.

The vampire ended up across the room, now glaring at HIM, before his fingers had even finished tightening on the tray.

x x x x x

It was Father Michael that gave Abraham the first insight into what was happening, when he confessed to them that like Sean had, he, too, was feeling an unnatural physical attraction to the beast. His confession triggered a floodgate opening of reponses from the others. They'd met for their afternoon after-lunch chat session, chewing over ideas and observations about the vampire, exchanging information on past experiences, and generally waiting for the "expert" to arrive. And Father Michael had stunned them all silent with his simple confession, triggering them to finally admit to their own responses.

Essentially, when they weren't frightened of the beast, they found themselves admiring it, being drawn to it.

"Even myself." And Father Jacobs looked a bit ashamed of this. "But as a Priest, I gave up such physical things long ago. And I know that, provoked, he can kill me, absolutely effortlessly. Even so, when he's calm, peaceful, I find my mind wandering where it should not be going."

That seemed to be the case for all of them, with the exception of Abraham. When they weren't frightened of the vampire, watching it for aggression or indications it would be dangerous, their minds went in far less acceptable directions.

"I hadn't noticed when he first arrived at my church, for he was worn and weak and damaged," explained Father Jacobs. "But now...when we cleaned him, I noticed it, and ignored it." Father Michael's gray head bobbed in agreement.

"It gets stronger when I'm closer to him, and when I cleaned him, it was hard to pull away, to not try and linger." Father Michael was old, brutally honest and forthright, without the ego and embarassment a younger man might have displayed, and Abraham mentally blessed him for joining them, and for speaking up. If he hadn't done so, he might have been unaware of this issue until another unfortunate incident happened.

The discussion continued, and by the end of it, they were certain of a few basic things. Alucard was aware of the situation, and that was the root of much of his behavior. If they were frightened of him, the lure of the vampire vanished, entirely. And...NOBODY was to go near that vampire alone, with the sole exception of Abraham.

It was deuced annoying, but handle-able. And if Alucard recovered, perhaps he'd be able to do something about it himself.

Abraham wasn't entirely certain why he was immune to the vampire, but he'd never had the urges that other men complained of, not even when young. A woman's body was lovely, and he enjoyed seeing one, but no more than he'd enjoy seeing a work of art. The pleasures of the flesh paled besides the pleasure of a good book or a difficult problem that presented a challenge, and he'd never worried about it overmuch.

And if men were normally driven to be attracted to a vampire, men and women, from Mina's description...that...explained much.

Abraham left the others, wandering over to the window, lost in thought.

Alucard was terrified of entering his bedroom.

Frightened of being touched. Phobic, even.

The mute broken tears when bathed...

The vampire's preference for hiding itself away...

Normally, that appeal would be a wonderful tool for a vampire, at the least confusing a man, at best luring him away as prey. But when broken and defenseless, that innate appeal had to be an exceptional curse.

The poor bastard had already been violated once, violently, it seemed. Certainly entirely unwillingly. And while under his protection, too. He never had upgraded those door locks...

It didn't take too terribly long, and he'd sent off one set of his guests after a heavy, sturdy pair of padlocks. Another had gone off to the hardware store for new latches and for metal bars to reinforce the door frame.

It was a busy afternoon, but by the time the sun had set, both doors had the old, simple bars removed, the deadbolts taken out. Instead, thick heavy padlocks hung on sturdy metal hinges, with long, solid screws holding them against the reinforced door frames. Getting in to the vampire would require keys or a battering ram. As for the keys, Abraham had a set, as did Father Jacob, and a third set was tucked away high on a closet shelf, with none but Abraham knowing about them.

x x x x x x

The sun had set, and Abraham was seated comfortably in the arm chair by the door, bottles of blood beside him. He'd come down each night before sunset, waited for the vampire to wake, and provided it a bit of company as well as its dinner. It had been exceedingly hungry the first few nights, but as it healed and recovered its appetite diminished and the four bottles would be more than sufficient.

It wasn't its hunger he was worried about tonight, but its fear. The vampire was awake, out of its coffin, crouched beside it and watching it carefully.

It was awake enough now to be thinking, and he rose slowly, scooping up a pair of bottles, moving steadily and slowly and non-threateningly to the vampire. Alucard plucked them out of his hands swiftly, then darted behind the coffin to eat as Abraham returned to his chair.

The edge off its appetite, he took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"Alucard, I spoke with the others today and learned something I had not expected." The vampire froze a bit, staring at him, nervousness radiating off it. "It's nothing you've done wrong, Alucard. Relax a bit." The vampire kept the coffin between them, but the nervousness abated, showing in shoulders that crept down slightly, a minor lifting of the chin.

"The others find you attractive, though I do not." Red eyes large, the vampire crouched again...but there was puzzlement in them, too. He just wished the damn beast would speak, but after the trauma of the last few weeks, he wasn't going to insist or expect the silence to change. The body language was eloquent enough.

"We're all concerned with keeping you safe. No one wants to see you attacked again." Another pause, and a low moan from the vampire, but it was staying remarkably coherent, better than he'd expected after mentioning the attack. "No one but myself will be down here alone, as I seem to be immune to the attraction. The others will be in pairs, with instructions to watch each other closely and leave, immediately, if they find themselves tempted." Red eyes stared, fright still clear in them.

"If you're asleep, no one will be down here without my presence or that of Father Jacobs. If you are awake, continue to frighten them and warn them away if they are too close or too interested." A very surprised blink at that, and a tilt of the head. "And if they deliberately touch you without both my and your permission, Alucard, we have all decided that constitutes provocation. Defend yourself as you see fit."

The vampire looked frankly pole-axed, moving from his crouch to sit heavily on the floor.

"I've also taken pains to keep others from this room. The door locks are replaced. If you'd like to inspect them, you may. I have keys, as does Father Jacobs. If he begins to feel tempted or if anyone notices a change in his behavior, including you, I will take those keys from him."

The vampire just stared at him, totally befuddled by the change in the situation.

x x x x x x

Alucard wasn't certain what to think. When Master had said he'd learned something he hadn't expected, Alucard wondered if he'd found out about the wards, or that he'd eaten the dead woman. The momentary fear had eased when Master had reassured him.

Master was not attracted to him? He'd thought perhaps not, though people immune to his charms were very rare. It was a relief, though Abraham's scent around him had never held the faintest traces of arousal. He was safe with Master, safe from that sort of abuse, perhaps.

The others were concerned about him? Concerned how? Concerned that he'd attack them, seduce them?

No...protective? How...bizarre. Humans didn't protect vampires.

But these did.

Father Jacobs found him attractive, but even so, he felt safe with the Priest. The man had passed up many opportunities to indulge in unnecessary contact, including when he was helpless to resist and wedged against the man in the carriage for the trip back. And he never had, instead showing worry for Alucard's mind and health, not desire for his body.

New locks? He did want to see them, but not now. Even knowing that Abraham had confirmed the man's lack of interest, he didn't want to interact with him, not at all. But...he was safe during the day, a safety he'd thought gone. And Abraham hadn't known that vampires attracted their prey with the lure of lust? Consistently?

Perhaps Master hadn't given him to Sean after all. It seemed not. And at this thought, a tight knot inside him seemed to untie, and he shuddered with the relief.

He could defend himself, was encouraged to do so. Encouraged to frighten the others. Expected to deny their advances, to turn to Abraham for protection, and it appeared Master would offer that protection, too! New locks, even...

It was far too much to take in. A heavy bundle of stress had just lifted from him, and he found himself simply dazed and staring.

x x x x x x

The vampire remained sitting with that silly pole-axed expression on his face. Testing the creature's responses now, Abraham picked up the remaining pair of bottles, bringing them to the beast.

Alucard didn't move out of the way, didn't even twitch, just turned to gaze up at him, looking utterly stunned. It was hard not to grin as he put the bottles down by the beast and returned to his chair. He'd brought a book down for the evening, planning to keep the beast company until midnight or later. It was a medieval bestiary, full of fanciful and fantastic creatures, and he was wondering if he might identify some of those creatures as real after the conversations he'd shared lately!

He heard the quiet sounds of the vampire finishing its meal, but had become completely immersed in his reading...at least until something cold and smooth moved across his ankle. He nearly yelped, thinking it a snake, but caught himself in time.

Alucard was stretched out beside him, having moved silently across the room. The beast's head was cushioned on a pillow, silky locks sprawled out, his eyes half-closed with a sort of mild pleasure...and one hand loosely curled about his ankle.

Alucard hadn't sought physical contact since...since he'd found him at the priest's home.

Heart singing, but face and body calm, Abraham returned to his book. 


	83. Chapter 83

I think every single person that read Ch 82 left a review, including some great suggestions (and one very awesome mention of drawing pictures for the scenes if time permits!). And so Ch 83 made it up tonight, though I ought to be sleeping. ;)

Ch 83

The bestial snarl and the snap of fangs caused Abraham to whirl about, a frown on his face. Fredrick was backing carefully away from Alucard, and Alucard was growling at him. Abraham observed the tableau carefully; the vampire wasn't advancing, and Fredrick was white-faced and retreating. As soon as the man had achieved what the vampire vampire considered a comfortable distance, Alucard went back to his cleaning.

The last two days had been...amazing. Alucard still shied away from being touched, but he was speaking again, if haltingly, and far, far more relaxed. The vampire had tested the locks, tugging at them, staring at them...and at one point, Abraham would have sworn he'd seen a little black tendril creep into the lock mechanism!

The vampire was certainly much, much happier now. Abraham wasn't certain where it had gotten the nails, most likely from the brown coffin, but the vampire had carefully ripped strips from its blanket and covered the windows. The strips were easy to move aside and look in at the vampire, if you didn't mind the blood-curling snarling response, and everyone had quickly learned not to impose, barring Abraham.

All he had to do was tell Alucard he was there, and the vampire remained quiet and unoffended, unthreatened. Father Jacobs could usually get away with it, but Abraham, always. The blanket had been substantially smaller afterwards, and the vampire had been delighted by the addition of a second blanket, thick and large and dense, when it had been brought down with a meal.

To his complete and utter shock, he was even able to draw blood from the beast while it was awake. He had to be quick, for the vampire's nerves could only handle so much and it would begin to tremble under his hand, making the blood draw messy or impossible, depending on whether or not the needle had been inserted yet.

The research had resumed, the vampire proffering the occasional quiet answer when gently asked, and everyone was excited about the sheer breadth of their discoveries so far. Most of them had returned to their own homes, but both priests had remained with Fredrick and Daniel. Everyone kept their distance from the vampire, but in the close confines of the lab, especially with Alucard's quiet unobtrusiveness, mistakes did happen.

And Fredrick had committed the most recent one. Whether he'd simply backed to close to the vampire for Alucard to be comfortable, or whether he'd been watching the beast a bit too closely, Abraham wasn't certain. But Fredrick had moved away, and Alucard had settled right back down. There was a tremendous backlog of dirty testtubes and dusty beakers, many of them dried and grimy and caked-on after being left neglected and dirty for the time of Alucard's absence. Two weeks of grunge had to be scrubbed away, and the labs themselves were nowhere near spotless either.

And as long as Abraham was nearby, Alucard remained willing to be of assistance. Abraham had even recruited him a time or two to stir chemicals or hold a beaker, with no complaints from the beast. Alucard simply watched him with a sort of wide-eyed wonder and awe. His easy familiarity with the vampire and clear concern for its safety and happiness, the trust he gave it in letting it wander about the basement, had resulted in a vampire that appeared to nearly worship him.

It was an odd feeling, but Abraham tried hard to earn it.

And he was beyond delighted when Nature called him away for a few minutes to relieve himself...and Alucard, instead of going back into his room behind locked doors, simply and calmly migrated to Father Jacobs' lab room instead.

x x x x x

Alucard was content, more so than he would have imagined. He still wasn't thinking clearly, but simple commands, that he could follow. It was such a relief to be able to snarl the men off when they impinged upon his space, to see the fear on their faces as they backed away. Fear, and respect.

And even when their gazes lingered a bit too long, he no longer resorted to hiding behind Abraham, but glaring at the offending man and quickly watching the dawning lust turn into wariness and a touch of embarassment. The physical activity was enough to help calm his nerves, repetitive and simple, far better than sitting alone in his own room, and he was once again enjoying Abraham's company.

The man had turned on him once, and he wasn't going to trust Abraham with any sort of permanence, but for now, he felt secure. Secure, and useful; Master was so pleased with the blood he gave that he didn't mind the touch as much as he should, though it still made his skin crawl. But it was brief, only a moment to hold down the vein and insert the needle into his leg, and then Abraham would draw back, touching only the needle. Bearable, if unnerving for a brief time!

And then Daniel, carrying a rack with a half-dozen freshly-cleaned glass tubes, tripped in the cluttered and crowded room. The glass tubes shattered, flinging bits everywhere, and as Daniel fell he pulled a beaker and round-bottom flask off the counter as well.

There was a horrible crash, drawing a snarl from the startled vampire, and then Alucard froze.

Blood.

Human blood.

Hot, fresh...he moaned a bit, swaying. Cold blood was good, but fresh... ooooooooh...

He remained where he was, though he wanted to leap across the room and bite Daniel so very, very badly!

x x x x x x

Abraham rushed to Daniel's side, thinking at first that he'd be merely helping the man up, then seeing the spreading pool of bright red under his legs.

Daniel had fallen on the beaker, it had shattered, and the glass had cut him, badly. It hadn't cut the femoral artery, but the wound was clearly severe. The vampire moaned, and Abraham moved quickly, grabbing Daniel under his arms and pulling him out the the hallway, away from the vampire.

As soon as he was in the hall, he saw Alucard dart towards the pool of blood. He ignored it, rolling Daniel over and pulling off his shirt to put pressure on the cut.

It was very long, and very deep, with a large chunk of the glass still in it. It was going to need stitches, and immediately. Daniel wasn't spurting blood, but it was flowing out far, far too quickly, and would only flow faster once the glass was removed.

"Jacobs! Michael! Fredrick! We have an emergency here!" The men's heads poked out, and in moments Fredrick was darting up the stairs after his medical kit as Abraham tried to staunch the flow of blood and remove the glass bits in the wound. It needed stitching, and quickly, but he couldn't stitch it over the glass!

A moan drew his gaze to Alucard, hunched just inside the door to the lab, glowing red eyes staring at Daniel, face smeared with blood...and drooling.

"ALUCARD!" The vampire jerked alert, face losing its intense and focused expression and instead looking guilty and faintly embarassed. The last thing Abraham needed was the vampire biting Daniel on top of the injury!

Injury...Alucard had healed his leg and the minor cuts of both himself and Father Jacob. And this would be a nasty scar, with a limp from the slashed hamstrings at best. At worst, the glass would cause the wound to go septic...he reached his decision in a flash.

"Alucard, will you heal this without biting him? Quickly?" The vampire paused only a moment before nodding vigorously. Abraham ignored the protests of Michael, though if Fredrick had been there the protests would have been far more severe. Daniel tried to argue, but was already weak and woozy enough from pain, shock, and blood loss that it wasn't effective.

Within an eyeblink, the vampire was looming over Daniel. It was disgusting, horrifying, to watch that long tongue dive into the wound, poking and licking about, buried inches deep inside it. And then it pulled out, the vampire spitting briefly, and two bits of glass landing on the floor. Immediately, Alucard was back in the wound, a horrifying and disturbing site as the tongue worked about and the flesh bulged and moved. Again, he pulled out, a much larger piece of glass and another tiny shard landing on the floor.

And a third time...and then the vampire slowed. The wound had already ceased to bleed, coagulating inside, and the tongue, still deep in the injury, moved slower, more deliberately. A quick glance at Daniel showed wide-eyed horror at what was occurring, but he was still too dazed to object. And then the tongue began to pull out, moving up and down the cut, and Abraham could SEE the muscles moving under the skin, rejoining. He watched closely, observing what he could of the healing power of a vampire, knowing that such chances were rare indeed.

Far sooner than he had expected, the vampire was done. Fredrick had just returned with the kit...and already the wound was repaired. A few final swipes of the tongue, then the vampire just slumped there, tired. Under their eyes, the red skin faded to pink...slowly turning into a mere scar, and a small one.

A small scar. Ten minutes ago it was an injury he feared might kill Daniel, and now...it was a small scar. It was difficult to find his voice, but he managed, thanking the tired vampire. Alucard nodded...then to his surprise, moved to its chamber. Abraham rose briefly to peek through the door to see the vampire collapse in its coffin.

Daniel...a large drink to help replace those missing fluids, and a few day's rest, and he'd be fine.

Abraham was simply shocked. Delighted, but he'd gone from terror that Daniel would die, to near-panic that Alucard would bite the man...to deep and intense relief combined with a crawling horror of the healing process itself.

He'd need to help Daniel up to bed. And Alucard needed a feeding, his hair faded to a deep steel gray instead of a rich black. Neither he nor Father Jacob could, and Father Michael was simply too old to stress his body out like that.

Fredrick nearly fainted at the request, but after a glance in at the exhausted vampire, was willing to help out. Abraham didn't have a blood-drawing kit available, the needle and hose had already been used on Alucard! But aside from a flinch, Fredrick tolerated what had to be a stinging cut well.

A little coaxing and Alucard had stumbled out, intense eyes focused on the injury.

In minutes, Alucard was doing much better, though Fredrick now looked a bit woozy, too. Abraham sent him off to bed. Research for the night was over, and Michael and Jacobs finished up their work quickly and stored everything for the next day.

He cleaned up the broken glass, shuddering at the long, sharp shards.

Alucard was quite willing to clean up the blood. He'd already made substantial headway on the mess before the beast had even joined them in the hall!

Watching him happily lick the congealing blood from the table legs and a small part of the floor (it was a relatively clean area, but even a vampire tempted with blood clearly had limits!), Abraham was both disgusted and fascinated. Alucard might have saved Daniel's life, or at the least prevented him from having a septic wound and severe blood loss...but watching him heal and then eat was more than a bit disturbing.

Alucard's happy smile upwards, totally unaware of Abraham's discomfort, blissful over the hot blood from Fredrick and the nearly-fresh blood spilled across the lab, pulled Abraham out of his funk.

The vampire simply looked too silly with that smudge of blood on the end of his nose and his blissful expression.

Abraham turned to toss the broken glass pieces into the waiting bucket, and heard an odd rumbling. He turned back, thinking that Alucard was pushing a table across the stone floor to get the blood underneath.

Instead, the vampire was flopped up against the cabinet, a relaxed and silly smile on his face, lounging against it in total relaxation, and contentedly purring. 


	84. Chapter 84

Ch 84

The cab pulled up outside the Van Helsing home, and brought in its interior the man that Abraham hoped would help him create some sort of permanent hold on the vampire. And along with that man came an enormous number of crates and boxes, all heavy and scuffed and sporting heavy solid locks. Rather bemused, Abraham assembled the butler and others to help move the items into the home.

"Van Helsing." The words were flat, shaded with the faintest annoyance, though the nod was pleasant enough, and the extended hand perfectly in line with proper manners. "Viktor Ivanovitch." A quick shake, and the man smiled, a brief, sharp twitch of the lips, a lifting of the lines about his mouth. "So good to meet the great hunter at last."

"Welcome to my home." Abraham's words were definitely more genuinely pleased. He'd worried so about the vampire. For now, there were no problems, but in a few months? A year? "How much of this needs to be taken to your bedroom?"

Victor lifted his valise, and nudged a smaller trunk with his foot. "Only these. The rest...they are for work."

Surprising, but the man appeared to be as much an ascetic as Fredrick. There couldn't be more than a warm coat and a few changes of clothes packed away in those small containers! And so many supplies...they'd have to clean out another room for them downstairs!

"I'll have those taken up to your room immediately. The others will be down in the basement, where we are conducting our research. Unfortunately, the rooms in use are rather cramped and the other rooms are absolutely filthy. For now, we'll need to have them in the hallway by the basement door." A thought flickered across his mind then; with those locks, these could simply be too precious or too valuable to leave out in a hallway! "If you'd rather, we can move them to my old laboratory for now. It has a lock on the door, and since all my supplies are now in the basement, it's available for you to use."

"You work in the basement?" Black eyes sharpened, looking at him closely for a moment, then Viktor shrugged. "The laboratory upstairs, then. I think I would prefer to use it myself, but I must see it to decide. For now, yes, my things may go in it." He gestured to the trunks and crates, adding, "While they are locked, there are things in there that I would keep safe. And away from the "vampire" that you have, too."

Abraham wasn't quite certain how to take this new guest. At the least, he seemed skeptical and a bit sour. But then again, he'd traveled a very great distance, indeed, for most of the last month and had only arrive in London late the previous day. The man was also old, very very old, hair reduced to thin gray strands, face seamed, eyes sunken and hands gnarled. The journey would have tired the young; Viktor had to be exhausted. And with this in mind, Abraham played the role of gracious host, though tired himself. It was hours before his normal rising time.

As he showed his new guest to his room, Abraham found himself apologizing for his yawns. "Please, excuse me. It's not your company nor your arrival that is causing this! I am quite delighted you are here." Another yawn, and with a sheepish look he explained. "For obvious reasons, those of us working with the vampire have adopted a more nocturnal lifestyle. I had only been asleep a few hours, and would not normally rise until lunchtime."

The black eyes looked surprised at this, then a nod. "I see, and I do understand. Thank you. Yes, I should let you get back to your bed as soon as possible." A small smile. "I'm quite sure your vampire requires you to be at your best." Viktor remained quiet for a bit then, expressing his thanks at the clean and well-appointed room he was shown, clearly deep in thought.

And then Abraham led him to his former laboratory, and the man's eyes lit up. "Van Helsing, this is excellent! I shall most certainly prefer to store my equipment in here, and I would like to use it for my own work, as well! If I could have a small table or two, or a bench, and a chair...that is all I would need!"

The room was well-lit, with large south-facing windows, and a few extra gas lights along the wall for darker days. The floor was tiled, expensive, but worth it for the occasional accident! A long series of solid shelves covered one wall entirely, and the opposite wall included a large sink and racks for drying glassware as well as assorted hooks and a long cabinet. A few weeks ago, his own books and glassware, stirring rods and crucibles, scales and distillers, had crammed each surface and that of several tables. With all that gone down to the basement, it was ready for immediate use...and definitely to Viktor's taste!

"Of course. I'll leave word with the butler that you are to have anything within reason, so don't hesitate to ask him. The tables that were in here have been taken downstairs, but I'm certain something suitable can be found for you. If you'd like something specific ordered from a woodshop or carpenter or glassmakers, please ask and I'l see about obtaining it." Abraham was going to do his level best to keep this man happy and give him all the tools he needed. Alucard was so good, so obedient now, but it was the future he worried about!

It wasn't long before the various cases and such had been carried up the stairs, with only a minimum of groans and quiet swearing. Viktor, despite his slender appearance and advanced age, was clearly all whipcord and wire, and had carried a few of them up himself, insisting that he be the one to handle them despite their bulk. A table had been purloined from the kitchen and another from the den along with a pair of chairs. The only stools were in use downstairs already.

Abraham looked forward to a few solid hours of sleep while Viktor unpacked, and then received an unpleasant surprise.

"Van Helsing...before I unpack. I would like to see this vampire of yours. Far too many times, I have gone to help, only to discover that it was no demon but a malicious and spoiled child. No monster, only a man that had discovered a way to stay warm and fed with little work beyond that of fooling the gullible. I would like to reassure myself that the effort is not wasted, and I should not instead be preparing to return to my home." The black eyes were serious and unyielding, and Abraham paused.

Alucard would NOT take well to a complete stranger being near him during the day. Not after what Sean had done. Abraham was impressed that the vampire was even able to tolerate the other men in the same room at this point...but helpless, asleep...waking to find a stranger had been there...No.

He'd have a frantic and panicked beast again.

But there were other options, and as suspicious as Viktor seemed, he'd need to use those options.

"Alucard isn't approachable right now, for reasons I'll have to explain this afternoon. You'll meet him tonight, and if you'd like to leave your belongings packed until then, I understand." As Viktor frowned, clearly becoming angry at Abraham's refusal to even let him SEE the vampire, Abraham rushed onwards. "You will see and speak with him, and you'll understand why it's just not advisable at this time. I mentioned that he was damaged, and that is part of the reason why, during the day, I am very hesitant to disturb him. Even watching him...he'll know when he wakes that someone was there, and it will take a long time to calm him back down." A more puzzled look on Viktor's face then, but also a touch of scorn.

"So I travel all this way, and must yet wait the entire day to even know if my travels were wasted?" Viktor's irritation was showing, and Abraham couldn't blame him, not if he'd been duped before. But dammit, he was no child himself, and if he couldn't recognize a fake after months in its company, not to mention the other's intelligence, he'd have to be a complete fool. But there were other options.

"As I said, I will not let you see him during the day. But we've drawn blood from him to use in various tests and, believe me, it most definitely does not react like human blood." A small grin. "Human blood does not normally explode into flames when a few drops of Holy Water is added! Or burn into ash when exposed to the sunlight." He turned, beckoning the man after him. "Come, please. I'll at least show you our work areas, and let you examine some of the blood yourself."

x x x x x

Viktor had paused for a long look at the new wall and new door that marked the outside barrier to the vampire's cell. The heavy lock was lifted, then allowed to drop, and he said quietly to Abraham, "A true vampire would not be stopped by a lock. They are powerful enough to break through such a thing."

"The lock isn't to protect us from the vampire," said Abraham simply, "but to keep him safe during the day." At Viktor's expression, he hurried to explain. "He was already attacked once in his sleep and it was a full week to recapture him. You'll have the full story later today, I promise. But for now...I hope the blood will at least reassure you enough that you'll be willing to wait until the evening."

To Abraham's minor surprise, though it made sense, Viktor didn't use any of their stores of silver and holy items. Instead, he drew a silver cross from his pocket, and selected a random vial of blood. His eyebrows lifted as the blood sizzled and briefly flamed. A second vial, and a third, all produced the same reaction. The others would be a bit upset that their carefully measured and prepared samples had been adultered, but they'd have to deal with it.

"One more test." At Abraham's nod, the man picked up another vial, and left, going upstairs with it. Abraham trailed him, realizing what this final test was, and what would happen, and trying not to smile a bit. The doubter would get what he deserved. They'd pulled the same prank on the Harker's just the day before, when they'd stopped by to check on Abraham and make certain all was still well.

And it worked this time as well. Viktor stepped into the brilliant sunlight streaming through the window, started to lift the vial of blood upwards...

And with a POOF! it flashed in the vial, the blood evaporating to ash instantly, and shooting out of the confines of the tube in a cloud that coated the front and face of Viktor.

The man stood there, blinking, clearly trying to decide whether to be angry that Abraham hadn't warned him, annoyed at the mess, or ecstatic that it truly was vampire blood that he'd found.

Abraham handed him a handkerchief with a chuckle. "As you can see...it is very reactive to daylight. Alucard himself is fairly resistant, but his blood isn't, not after it's more than a couple hours old. It becomes more and more unstable with time. Fortunately, he's willing to donate nightly so we have consistent fresh samples to study."

Pausing, Viktor stopped in the midst of wiping his face, black eyes glittering out of the deep lines and the coating of sparkling gray ash. "Willing to donate?" He was clearly dumbfounded by the concept.

"Yes, he's nearly as interested as we are in learning about the specifics of vampire weaknesses. And as long as he's kept calm, he'll let me draw samples without any arguing at all." A smile at the older man, who still stood frozen in shock.

"I think you agree now that it's likely we have a true vampire, yes? If you'd like to unpack and clean up, the rest of us will join you at lunchtime. Please ask my staff if you have any questions, and avoid the basement. Alucard is exceedingly nervous, and he'll be upset enough at the addition of yet another person that he doesn't needed the added fear of having you downstairs while he sleeps!"

Viktor still seemed quite dumbfounded, but agreeable. A few words to the staff, and he'd be supplied with anything the man needed. A few more quiet words, and if Viktor so much as seemed to approach the basement, Abraham would be woken immediately. A few more minutes while locks were checked and double-checked for the vampire's room and the basement, and then Abraham fell back into his bed for that sleep he so needed.

Viktor. Not quite what he'd expected. Everyone else had been genial, helpful, excited...not suspicious and demanding. Old, older even than Father Michael. Not the most personable of men, for certain.

But he just might be able to help them control Alucard even after the beast recovered.

Besides, Abraham had already successfully made the man suffer a bit for his doubting ways.l And he'd looked damned silly covered in dust!

He fell asleep grinning. 


	85. Chapter 85

Ch 85

They'd spent the afternoon explaining Alucard to Viktor, and to say the man was frankly unbelieving was an understatement. Vampires did not hide, they did not panic, and they most definitely were not frightened of humans. Abraham had tried, delicately, to explain what Sean had done and its effect on the beast, and Viktor was having none of it.

He clearly thought they were a great gaggle of fools, and told them so. He did listen patiently, though will ill-conceived skepticism, to their descriptions and discussions of the beast's behavior. He was deeply surprised by the scars sported by both Abraham and Daniel, and the discussion of how the vampire had healed them both.

He most definitely did not like vampires, was entirely convinced that Alucard was merely playing with the fools, and had come there to help them either kill or permanently contain a vicious, predatory monster. Their idiocy in seeing a vampire as a housepet knew no bounds, to him, and he told them so quite plainly.

Viktor was still angry and frustrated with them when Abraham went downstairs to fetch the vampire.

x x x x x x

Master was there...and with two bottles of blood. Alucard was relieved to open his eyes after his long day of slumber and see the same, safe beginnings of his nightly routine. Uncovering himself, he stretched comfortably and blinked away, then padded across the room for his dinner. He'd settle down by his coffin, eat, and then he and Master would join the others in the labs across the hallway.

He was halfway through with the second bottle, Abraham waiting patiently in the chair, when he realized how quiet it was. No chinks of glass, no murmurs of voices...no one else was downstairs.

A change in routine. He felt his body tense a bit, but finished the blood. Master did not seem angry. Perhaps it had to do with Daniel being hurt? He'd healed him, was that wrong? No, Master had asked him to, had been pleased, had bid him a goodnight.

Why different?

"We have another guest tonight, Alucard." Oh...something had changed. Who was it? Someone like Sean? Scary, scary, even if Master let him snarl. Or...maybe a woman? Not likely, but perhaps. He could hope. And so, nervous, he waited.

"Viktor comes from St. Petersburg, and only arrived this morning. We have tried to explain to him that you are different from the vampires he has known, and he is skeptical." Worrisome. Worrisome. Master sounded annoyed. Annoyed at him? No...it was Viktor. Master did not like Viktor.

And with that realization, Alucard didn't like Viktor, either.

"We're putting off tonight's research until Viktor has met with you." More tension. What was involved with this meeting? "You don't need to do anything, Alucard. Simply come up with me to the office, where you may sit in the window or beside me. The other two bottles are upstairs, and you may eat and rest while we talk." Oh, he could do that. Back to the office. Same routine. Tension melted away, though Viktor and concern for what the man would do, and dislike for him due to Abraham's dislike, continued to affect the vampire.

"Alucard..." He looked back at Master, wondering what the hesitant voice was for. "Alucard...if you become nervous tonight, worried, ask to return downstairs. I will bring you back down here immediately." Abraham looked worried for him, but it was good knowing he could leave. He wanted to stay there, in the safe dark, and not go upstairs at all.

But the moon waited for him. And he hadn't seen it since he was lost, days ago, and had been too tired, too hurt, too scared, to enjoy it for much of that time. He'd missed it. And Abraham wanted him upstairs.

Obedient, somewhat apprehensive, somewhat anticipatory, he settled his hat tightly on his head and folded up his collar. Prepared, he followed Abraham up the stairs.

x x x x x

There were wards. A different kind of a ward, but a ward. He paused, eyes narrowed, as he looked down the hall. The door at the end. It had been spelled, he could see it. What was behind it that was being protected? Who had bespelled it? That was Abraham's old lab, he'd spent days carrying items out of it. It was empty, or had been. Why the ward?

x x x x x

Abraham noticed his pause and the direction of his gaze, and fortunately misinterpreted it as mere curiousity. He didn't know how the vampire knew something had changed in that room, but clearly it was somewhat spooked by it. Perhaps the scent of Viktor was strong in this hall, or something he'd brought gave off a detectable scent or sound to the beast.

"Viktor has decided to use my old lab, not the downstairs labs. It's cold down there, and he's elderly." He could see the vampire thinking, head cocked, what was visible of its face entirely blank. The poor thing...its mind functioned, yes, but in stop-and-starts. It was still as broken in its processes as the first night it had awakened from its coffin after the capture. So he paused, and gave it time to work through and think about this information. And within seconds, it had unfrozen, the vampire turning and waiting to follow him once again.

x x x x x x

Viktor was a sorcerer, a mage, a warlock, a practicioner. Different words for different times and different cultures, but all one and the same underneath. The man could move about the energies and powers that most men were oblivious to. And he could probably sense them, very likely so if he'd set up wards so soon after arrival.

Viktor might well see that he, too, was a mage. Could tell Abraham. Abraham still didn't know he'd taken down the wards, not really. Didn't know he could do anything like that. He hadn't told Abraham, very purposefully. If Abraham turned on him again, he would need any edge, any advantage, he could gain.

This man could tell Abraham.

If he could tell, himself.

With an effort of will, he pulled his abilities into himself, shutting away those powers, at least temporarily. The door faded, the wards gone, all but the tiniest glimmer. A few moments of careful testing about himself to confirm that the signs of his abilities were well-hidden. He'd learned of this skill centuries ago. If he approached a sorcerer to gain their knowledge, they invariably recognized him as another sorcerer...a few even immediately identified him as Nosferatu! And they fled, quickly. So he'd practiced for weeks on concealing his nature.

A few more tweaks and changes, and he was convinced that outwardly, to the man's eyes, he'd look like nothing more than a weak vampire. Done, he turned to follow his Master, thinking.

He didn't like having to hide. But he also didn't want Abraham knowing any more about his abilities than the man already knew. Thankfully, he seemed to have forgotten Alucard's dash through the walls. At the least, he hadn't asked the vampire about them. Wise, that. Even thinking about them forced Alucard to remember what had triggered them. Sean. And he trembled, edging slightly closer to Master.

x x x x x x

"THAT is your vampire?" The shock and scorn were clear in the loud, brassy voice, and Alucard skittered away nervously, eyes darting to identify the speaker. There was a strange man, sitting by the fire, and even with his senses dampened Alucard could see, faintly, the reaching, grasping aura of a practicioner. He shuddered, glad he had hidden his own, worried at the sound of this clearly antagonistic man.

Viktor leaned back in his chair again, snapping black eyes taking in the creature before him. He didn't miss the cringe, the jump when he spoke, or how it was now using Abraham as a shield between them. But... "Well, it is most definitely a vampire." A grudging admittance, but no mistaking the beast for what it was. It had some in, a slouched form creeping behind Abraham, the very FEEL of it unmistakably vampiric. Weak, but a bloodsucking undead nonetheless, and he felt grudging admiration for Abraham's capture of it.

And he owed the man an apology, too. "I must apologize, Van Helsing, for my skepticism in this matter. That is indeed a true vampire, though not very powerful as vampires go. Even so, it is a vampire, and capturing it is a very impressive feat." He almost rose to go inspect the beast more closely, but Abraham's raised hand forestalled his rise.

"Thank you, Ivanovitch. Let me settle him down, and I'll rejoin you." As Viktor watched closely, the vampire glancing nervously at him every few seconds, Abraham retrieved a cushion and followed the beast to the window. A cushion? Yes, it was sitting on it. Spoiled, perhaps, maybe only manipulative. As he watched, it carefully arranged its clothes, disappearing under their bulk except for the single white hand wrapped around the bottle of blood. Entirely fascinating. And he had many, many new questions to ask his host.

As they talked, the vampire remained by the window, the tilt of its ridiculously floppy hat showing that it watched the Moon. Before long, an empty bottle sat at its feet and the vampire was entirely motionless, entirely consumed by its view.

x x x x x x x

The Moon was dim tonight, a bare sliver, and the normally cloudy sky of England had made no exception for him. As the pale bit of moon vanished yet again behind a bank of slow-moving clouds, Alucard gave up on his sky-gazing. It had been nice, but now...it was only frustrating. He'd go sit by Master.

Viktor was there...he didn't want to be close to the man. But he'd go sit by Master, yes. He rose, moving quietly across the room, only to be spotted immediately by Fredrick. Fredrick paused in his speech, watching the approaching vampire, and Alucard suddenly found himself the focus of six pairs of eyes.

Men's eyes.

He froze briefly, pinned under their collective gaze, until a few words of calm encouragement from Abraham drew him forward again. What Master had said, he didn't know, couldn't tell...but Master was safety. And Priest. Priest was there. Timid and nervous, but no longer frozen, he moved forward to join them. Master's chair shielded him from the others on one side, an empty chair at his other shoulder.

x x x x x x

Amazing, really. Viktor was starting to suspect that the others might actually have been right. Vampires were proud, arrogant creatures, while this one...this one was a worm. Timid, crawling, weak, spineless. He simply couldn't imagine this being a mere act. Fascinating, too. Abraham had explained how the creature had been broken, and he'd been turning over the idea of finding and breaking his own vampire. But much as he loathed them...this was just pathetic. Absolutely disgusting. There would be no pride in controlling such a beast, none at all, no reason for torturing it so to break it to that point. No, he'd simple kill them as he found them. He had no use for such a sniveling creature.

Abraham might cosset it, but he was not inclined to do so for a vampire, not at all. Odd, that it was so dependent on the man. Containing it might be much easier than he'd expected. The most powerful one controls were ones that both parties wished to have in place, for willingly accepted bonds were far, far stronger than those imposed on the unwilling.

He pondered, noticing eventually that he was becoming uncomfortably warm. His seat was closest to the fire, and what was normal clothing for his home in this season was simply too hot for England! He'd grown accustomed, with age, to finding seats near fires to stay warm.

Well, here it was just hot. Uncomfortably so, and he found himself beginning to sweat.

With a grumble and a creak, he moved over to the empty chair. It was also beside the vampire, allowing him a closer view of the beast. He had yet to get a clear look at it, swaddled and layered as it was.

x x x x x x x

The room stank of men. They'd been in it all day, weather keeping the windows closed tight, and with the fire going brightly, they were beginning to smell. Not normally an unpleasant scent, but he was in no condition to find it appetizing. No, it was instead intimidating. Too close, too stifling, and he buried his face in his coat, blocking out some of it.

But Master was there, and it was only annoying, no more.

And he dozed a bit, waking slightly at the occasional noise or raised voice, listening somewhat to what the men said, but mostly lost in his own disjointed thoughts. He'd known to hide from the sorcerer, yes, and was trying to remember more. If he had to take down a ward right now, he doubted he'd have the concentration and capability. But he could at least try to remember, work to recover, and so he did. Caught up in the effort of thought, Alucard was oblivious to much of what passed around him.

And then he noticed something.

Viktor had moved to the chair beside him, and was leaning over the arm, watching him. Sweating.

Alucard's mind registered how close he was, the position, the sweat, the weakness and slowness of his mind, taking the similarities of this situation and imposing the memories of his assault over the top if it.

Shrieking and snarling in fear and anger, Alucard tumbled back. Part of him wished to rip the man's head from his body, but he also realized this was NOT Sean, that Master was there...

Wailing, he scrambled to the desk, hiding crammed far back in the space under it, concealed in the dark, hissing and weeping and snarling.

x x x x x x

viktor stared in shock. He'd done nothing but lean over to look at the monster, and it had...well...panicked. There was no other word for it. He sat, staring, as Abraham moved to the desk, soothing the beast, crouched beside it and speaking quietly.

The quiet murmur of the man's voice was rewarded with a steady reduction in the bestial, threatening sounds the vampire was making, and soon it had stopped entirely. Abraham rose, and Viktor wondered why...then stopped wondering when Abraham scooped up the remaining bottle of blood from its resting place by the window.

"He's very upset. I'm going to take him downstairs and let him settle a bit. I may rejoin you, I may stay with him." A sigh. "I don't think we'll be drawing any blood from him tonight, and after last night's accident, having a less-crowded working spacing is definitely in order. Give me time to get him settled down, at least a half-hour, then join me and we'll start cleaning the next room." A few questions about the location of buckets and soap, and he left them.

Cleaning the room, hmm? Well, he still had great quantities of unpacking to do, himself. It appeared he would most definitely be staying here for some time. And after its little display, triggered by his presence, he thought it might be preferable to be away from the monster for a bit. Even a worthless, broken, groveling vampire could still bite, and he had no intention of finishing his days as a ghoul.

Abraham left then, coaxing the beast out from its hiding-hole and out the door. A few minutes later, Viktor was turning the gas lights on brightly in his new working room. He remembered those teeth far too well, and he'd be sleeping in the same home as that monster.

Both in his bedroom and his working chamber, the very first thing he'd be establishing was a well-done set of barriers! 


	86. Chapter 86

I didn't expect to be able to update tonight. It's just a short Alucard-is-depressed-and-traumatized chapter, filler more than anything, but at least it's something. ;)

Ch 86

It was easier to calm down, in the dark and quiet room, away from the men, away from Viktor. Master was there, and that helped, too. It was safer with Master there, even though Master had tried to kill him.

Thoughts raced through Alucard's mind, disjointed at best, mostly incomplete. He remembered Sean, remembered the attack, and being in his room was a conflict of both safety and threat now. Abraham was there, but in his mind was the memory of the calm and steady expression on Abraham's face when the gun was pointed at him, and fired. He'd been raped, attacked on his own coffin, in his room, and Master had tried to kill him.

He'd gotten over that, somewhat, still distracted by the sudden change in circumstances and how Abraham had empowered him to protect himself. But tonight, with a new man, a threatening man, so interested in him...the similarities to the attack...he was feeling the aftershocks of the trauma. And so, even with Abraham there, he'd moved to his corner, wrapped tight in his blanket, cautiously watching Abraham.

x x x x x

The vampire had calmed, yes, though Abraham didn't know the specifics of what had triggered that response this time. Alucard was so broken, and the vampire couldn't even tell him WHY it found a situation or a person so distressing. He'd seated himself in the chair, expecting the vampire to curl up beside him, only to receive a wary stare instead. The vampire had distanced himself as much as possible, in the very farthest corner of the room, and sat unmoving. The unblinking red eyes glowed out of the corner at him, the blanket draped over the monster and leaving nothing but those red eyes visible.

Disappointing, and sad. He'd expected the vampire to be timid, yes...but to have panicked simply because Viktor looked at him? The man was seated in a chair, out of arm's reach, and so very old! And Alucard had spooked, and remained spooked.

Perhaps the vampire needed to be alone for a bit.

"Alucard, I'm going to go back upstairs now. You've got your coffin, and I'll leave the last bottle of blood as well in case you are hungry. We'll be working downstairs, but I'll make certain no one bothers you." He waited, hoping for a response, but none came, only the same motionless, silent stare as before.

At least the monster wasn't snarling and hissing, had calmed down somewhat. He'd leave it to recover further. Bottle by the coffin, he left, locking the doors behind him.

x x x x x x

Master was gone. And while having him there had been unnerving, he could have decided to kill again...it was still better than having him gone.

At first it had been good, thinking Master would be gone, no more gun, no more silver bullets.

But shortly after Abraham left, Alucard discovered that without the presence of his Master to distract him and occupy him...his mind kept returning to the attack. He was fed, no longer starved, no longer distracted by hunger...and his mind kept replaying the attacks, by both Sean and Master, the pain, the shock, the betrayal. Master hadn't given him to Sean...but he'd still been shot. Silent white hands reached to where the injuries had been, rubbing. And even then...staked. Master had staked him.

He didn't know why. Only that it had happened. And there was a stranger, Viktor, in the house now. Scary.

The more he tried to force his mind away from the thoughts and memories, the more his mind circled back to them. He was a shaking tear-streaked mess by the time he heard the men in the hall outside, buckets clanging, voices talking, the scrubbing of brushes and sloshing of water. It helped, and distracted him, and he spent time trying to match each noise to the person doing it.

He could track them, listening to footsteps and heartbeats, and before long he was curled by the door, listening, picturing what was happening and who was doing what. It was a good distraction, and he remained curled by the door, wrapped in his new blanket, listening and tracking them for much of the night.

And then they went to sleep...and he was alone again, with the memories and fears and reactions to torment him.

He wanted Master there...but dreaded that Abraham would come again with his gun. He wanted to sleep in his coffin...but dreaded waking to another attack. It took many trips to the door, many tugs and rattles to verify again and again that they were locked. The blanket wrapped on his hand reduced the burn of the holy water and blessings to a minor discomfort, one he could ignore to seek the reassurance that he was safe.

He didn't feel safe. Not anymore. The brown coffin, rickety after losing so many nails, was carefully lifted to place in front of the door yet again. Entry into his own coffin was delayed as long as possible, the helplessness of his daily sleep terrifying him, but it was inevitable.

He fell asleep remembering that cold, steady gaze on him, the pistol lifted and aimed unerringly for his heart. 


	87. Chapter 87

Ch 87

He had been disappointed that the vampire had remained so thoroughly spooked the entire night before, and had spent the day waiting for the vampire to wake Abraham was hoping that a full day of rest and peace following several hours of privacy the previous night would have restored the vampire. And shortly before dark, he'd entered Alucard's room, intending to be seated and waiting, as before.

That was what he'd intended, at least. But opening the door wasn't possible; there was something blocking it. Had Alucard moved the coffin again? A peek through the window, and, yes, the vampire had barricaded the door. It wasn't an effective barricade, really; one person shoving sufficiently hard could open the door, and two people could easily do so.

But it was loud, and the coffin was missing quite a few nails. Alucard had somehow pried them out, and then pressed them into the damp plaster and tacked the blanket up with them. Enough nails to hang the blanket had been more than enough to challenge the coffin's integrity and leave it barely intact. Pushing open the door would leave in a pile of boards and cloth.

And Alucard had put it there for a reason. The vampire didn't want him in the room. He could wait until the vampire woke, and see if the beast would move it then. Pressuring the beast, showing it that its safeguards and precautions were ineffective, well, he had an idea that would just result in a hissing beast in the corner for another night.

Instead, he went to collect a hammer, screwdriver, some more nails, screws, even a dense glue for the wood. Alucard would likely want to put the coffin back together more solidly, and more nails to hold up the blanket in that thin layer of plaster would likely be useful. Whether the vampire was capable of understanding how to use a hammer or screwdriver was anyone's guess; the dustpan had nearly been beyond him.

But it was worth a try.

And off he went.

x x x x x x x

Silent, quiet, no movement... Alucard remained still, continuing the illusion of sleep while his mind and body woke. NOTHING nearby. Not a sound, only out in the hallway, muffled by the walls. No heartbeat, no breathing, nothing. Relief.

No one nearby, so he took a deep breath, testing the air...nothing. Only faint traces. No one had disturbed him all day. Abraham was not present, both a worry and a relief. He wanted his Master, needed him...but feared the man, too. The previous night, he'd remembered all that had happened to him, the agony of the bonds the night he'd been bathed, the welt on his face, the silver riding crop... And at the Priest's home, Master had a gun then, too. He'd ignored it at the time.

He shouldn't have.

And then Master had shot him. Twice. Tracked him down, and then staked him. Hadn't killed him, but had trapped in the coffin to panic for a short time, though not short enough, never short enough.

Master was a contradiction. Sometimes so protective of him, caring for him, watching for his comfort...sometimes so frightening, so willing to hurt, to cause pain and fear.

He didn't understand. And he was hungry, and Master was not there. It was worrisome...but a relief. Rising, he looked to the door, surprised to see that, this time, the door still remained blocked by the child's coffin. Dread rose in him. Had Master actually abandoned him? Decided that the room was proof against his escape, and left him here? Viktor was here, had Abraham decided that he could now ensure the cooperation of his vampire, and decided to treat him in a more predictable and human manner?

Trapped and hungry and frightened, he stared at the windows, waiting, and hearing the footsteps of someone approaching. Master?

Good or bad, welcome or dreaded, he didn't know. 


	88. Chapter 88

Ch 88

"Alucard?" Master. It was Master. Relief...or fear. He didn't know which. Would Master want to take care of him tonight? Or want to hurt him? He tried to answer, but found the words trapped in his throat. Instead, he simply hugged himself, watching the window from which the voice had emerged.

"Alucard?" A little louder, and finally, finally, he could reply. A whine, almost a whimper, it was all he could manage. Fear, relief, relief, fear...he rocked, shifting from foot to foot, arms tight about himself, standing and staring at the window.

The blanket moved, the lantern shone through, the light blinding him for he'd looked directly at it. Almost a hiss, almost...but not quite. He looked away, blinking for a moment, allowing the dazzle to clear from his eyes. When he turned back, the lantern had been moved to the side, and Master was watching him. Why? What did Master want? Was he angry? Did he bring dinner?

"Alucard...I brought you your dinner. Do you want me to come in there with you?" Did he? Maybe. Alone was not good, alone was...alone. Too many thoughts, too many memories, all of them bad. But too many of them also had Abraham in them. Unable to decide, he simply stared blankly at Abraham, wondering what Master would do.

A sigh, Master sighed. Not loud, but...was he disappointed? Angry? No, not angry, but looking solemn. Not sad, calm...but not so blank as when he fired the gun, trying to kill. A rub on the arm where the bullet had been, and Alucard thought, or tried to. There was food, somewhere. Couldn't see it. Master had it. Master was outside the room, not in, had brought dinner, was not angry...yes.

Nervously eyeing Abraham, a step at a time, the vampire approached the man. A swallow, hungry, mouth watering. Abraham moved away, head dipping for a moment, and then the clink of bottles, reassurring, food was there, yes. Two bottles slid onto the window, then two more. Alucard moved closer, reaching towards them, freezing as Abraham began to speak again.

"I also brought you something else, since you used nails to put the blanket up." Nails? The vampire stood frozen still, arm outstretched towards the bottles, worried. Master had brought something else? The nails, was he angry about them? Had he decided that using the coffin's nails was bad? They had been very hard to remove, even with vampiric fingers and vampiric strength. Master's statement made no sense.

And then Abraham rose, hand wrapped around a dark shape, and the lantern glinted off something metal, rounded on the end. And it clanked against the bar in the window, making a solid metallic thunk. Gun? GUN?

x x x x x x

Abraham looked at the vampire over the head of the hammer, pausing at the shocked and frozen look on its face. A frown...what was wrong with the vampire? He lifted the hammer a bit more, intending to place it on the window sill, and Alucard...shrieked. Fear, terror, a wail of anguish, and the poor mad beast darted wildly about the room for a few moments, finally diving behind the coffin out of sight.

Out of sight, but audible. Sobbing moans of fear and ferocious snarls alternated, but the vampire was well-hidden, not even peeking out at him.

It was just a hammer. What had happened that the beast would be frightened of a carpenter's hammer and a box of nails? Shoulders slumping in defeat, he dropped the hammer on the floor by the door, nails with with it, and leaned on the chill wall, thinking.

"Alucard...I brought you a hammer so you could fix the brown coffin if you wanted to. I'll take it away now. Your dinner is here, we'll leave you alone for a bit." No change in the beast's behavior, the same broken sounds as before, and Abraham trudged off to think. Why was the vampire suddenly so very, terribly frightened of him? He couldn't work with the creature at all...perhaps Father Jacobs would be able to soothe it again?

x x x x x

A gun, a gun, Master had tried to shoot him again. Alucard was far too frightened to pass through the floor or squeeze through a window, too fearful and too frantic to do more than hide. He heard Abraham speak, but what the man said, he didn't know. Several more minutes of silence...no bullets. No gun. He was hidden, Master couldn't see him to shoot him. Still Master? A shudder. Maybe. Maybe not.

Silence, alone, alone, silence. Really gone? Or waiting, waiting for him to move so that the bullets could find him? Fighting down sobs, Alucard listened, straining his ears. People, yes, but not in the hallway. The quiet murmur of voices in the labs. Nothing more. No heartbeats outside his window, Master not waiting with the gun.

Swallowing fearfully, he lifted his head, peeking out, verifying that the blanket remained over the window, the coffin in front of the door. Quiet, now, quiet, don't be heard...so hungry...might have to run again. Eat first, not running and hurt and hungry. Yes. Safe? Maybe. No one there.

The continued lack of sound reassured the vampire, and Alucard crept towards the window, making no sound himself. Carefully, carefully, he eased the edge of the makeshift curtain up, just enough to spy the bottles. A quick snatch, and he was across the room, behind the coffin, with a pair of bottles. A few long moments passed as he watched carefully, waiting for a reaction.

None. No one there.

With a shudder of relief, he drained the bottles. If he had to flee again...he would have the strength and ability to do so. The other two bottles tempted him, but...no. Not worth the danger. Not. Instead, he stared at the floor, finding the places where the gap between the silver was the greatest and he had the least difficult passage. It would be difficult no matter how wide the silver was spaced. This was not a thin wall...but a solid dirt and rock barrier. He'd have to travel through it, all the way to an open space out of sight of the men. He pondered, then froze, listening again.

Someone was in the hallway. Walking, not talking, but not silent. Normal walking, no sneaking. Who? Shuddering, wondering if Master were back with the gun, he curled behind the coffin again. At any moment, he expected to hear the sharp retort of the gun, feel the coffin splinter. And he was ready to flee.

x x x x x x

Alucard had taken a pair of the bottles, and the vampire was quiet again. Father Jacobs watched the windows for a few moments, hoping that the blanket would twitch aside and a pair of red eyes would give him an inquisitive look, but nothing happened, the vampire still hiding away. He'd have to break the silence himself, and only hope he didn't send the beast into a fresh set of hysterics. The others were all working to clear out a third room, well, not all.

Viktor had wanted to read Abraham's notes, and while his spoken English was quite good, reading the notes had posed a small problem. Abraham's spoken English was equally good, if accented, but writing in English was a bit of a challenge for the man, and the spelling was often...unusual. Having a native Russian speaker attempted to read the writings in English of a Dutchman had led to them learning a few Russian obscenities earlier in the day. So Viktor and Father Michael had retreated upstairs to the warm and well-lit study, reading the journals and notes together. Neither one had had the opportunity to do so yet, and both needed to. Viktor had been in the hallway, observing Abraham's initial interaction with the beast from the foot of the stairs, for they'd all given the man plenty of distance to avoid spooking Alucard. Viktor had given a scornful look towards the cell of the whimpering beast, then stalked up the stairs to study.

He, himself, had been prepared to clean and scrub, but Abraham had asked him to work with Alucard instead. And so here he was, staring at a dark curtain with an insane and highly upset vampire behind it, somewhere.

Had it not been Alucard, he might actually have been worried.

x x x x x

"Alucard? It's me, Father Jacobs." No real response, but a shuddering sigh. Well, that was better than snarls and wails. "I'm going to lift the blanket so that I can see and talk to you. If that bothers you, I can and will put it back down." Lifting the blanket up and shining the light of the lantern in showed him a pale face peering over the edge of the coffin, blinking in the brightness of the light...but no fangs. Instead, Alucard simply shifted, sitting upright again instead of huddled behind it, watching him with an unreadable expression on the vampire's face.

"Don't be frightened, Alucard. No one is going to hurt you." a moment to clink the two bottles together...ah. Yes. Definite interest there on Alucard's part. "Do you want the rest of your meal now?"

x x x x x x

Father Jacobs. Not Master. Priest. The words were still a mystery to him, but the tone was gentle, soft, peaceful, and he suddenly wanted the man in there with him, very much so. Priests were safety. And he needed that safety now, needed someone to keep him safe from Master...Abraham...the gun. Would Priest come in?

The door. Coffin. Couldn't come in. He should move coffin...but...noise. Would Abraham come, hear it and come? Scary. But...Priest was there. He could trust priest. Priest said...what? Yes. Had said no one would hurt him.

Cautiously, ears listening closely for any sounds of anyone else outside his rooms, he crept out from the shelter of his own coffin. Hard, so hard...wanted to hide again. A quick glance...yes, Priest was watching him. No one else. At the brown coffin, the child's coffin, a gentle tug. It creaked, all loose, all wobbly, not a proper coffin now, not at all, but still there, a barrier.

Moving carefully, shifting it about, careful not to break it apart, he pulled the coffin back. Priest was talking again, and he stopped, trying to listen and understand. So hard to think, scared of Master, the gun...needed Priest to protect him. Priest had protected him from John, kept him safe in the crypt, fed him...fed him twice. Never hurt him, never hurt him at all.

So he listened, straining to understand, and realized that Jacobs was asking him about screws, glue. Why? They were not scary things. Not a gun at all. Not even a knife, not a silver-wrapped whip. Blinking, he realized the man was waiting for an answer. To what question?

He couldn't remember, but it wasn't scary, and he wanted Jacobs in there to protect him. And so he merely shrugged, and went back to shifting his coffin out of the way of the door.

x x x x x

He'd expected the vampire to sit and watch him...he hadn't expected Alucard to move to the door and start shifting that coffin. A quick pat verified he had the keys to the locks, and he almost opened the outside door before noticing how rickety the coffin was.

That coffin was ready to come apart at any minute. And Alucard had panicked at the hammer...would the beast accept the glue? A screwdriver and screws and the little hand drill? Father Jacobs asked, and the vampire's gaze back was distant, confused...but not frightened. And so he scooped up the little bag of screws and the tools as well as the lantern, and began opening the doors.

Alucard wasn't overly interested in the tools, but simply sat quietly, almost within reach, and watched as he carefully drilled, screwed, and glued the coffin parts more firmly together. A hammer and nails would have been nice, but the vampire had been so frightened.

And so he talked to the beast, soothing it, wondering why a hammer frightened it so. When he finished with the coffin, as well as could be managed with no hammer to seat the nails more solidly, the vampire's white hands ghosted over the joins, and his puzzled, curious look faded to a look of pleasure.

He'd settled down so much. Jacobs gave the beast an encouraging smile back, then moved to sit by the door in the armchair. He expected Alucard to follow him, but the vampire waited a few moments, head tilted, clearly listening carefully, before moving to curl up by the chair. So spooked, who was it listening for? And why was it so scared of Abraham?

Needing to keep the creature soothed and focused on him, Father Jacobs decided to talk to it about the events of the day. It was a rambling discussion of the minutiae of a slow day, from the contents of their meal to the fit Viktor had thrown over the barely-readable journals. Alucard uncoiled for a bit to retrieve another bottle, relaxing more and more as time went on. As he began talking about their plans to expand into a third room due to Daniel's accident, the vampire actually spoke, though haltingly.

"Daniel...healed?"

Startled, but pleased, Jacobs confirmed this for the beast. "Yes, entirely healed, and very grateful to you. We all are; it could have been a very bad situation indeed if you hadn't helped heal him." No mistaking it, the vampire was pleased with the praise, a faintly smug look on his face. "Right now, they're cleaning the next room. We'd all like to have you helping us, but if you aren't ready, we understand. Do you want to go help clean?"

The vampires face dropped, head wagging from side to side, and he whined a bit. "No...not safe. Not." And the beast sobbed softly, going from pleased and content to scared amazingly quickly. Scared, but coherent, and Father Jacobs decided to press his luck.

"No one will hurt you. And you can snarl at us, and come back here when you want to, safe behind the locked doors." The vampire was shaking his head now, silent, but vehement in its disagreement. Who was the creature so frightened of? They'd ignored his fear of Sean and Jacobs still carried a great weight of guilt for allowing the vampire to be so abused and frightened. "Who scares you, Alucard?" The vampire didn't speak, and so he continued, soft and gentle. "If it's Michael or Viktor, they are both upstairs now, far away from us. And you've worked with the rest of us the past few nights. None of us want to harm you."

Alucard looked up at him, the face so miserably tragic that it nearly broke Jacob's heart. And spoke...haltingly, and in tones of deep and utter misery. "Abraham...the gun..." The red eyes blinked, then clenched tightly shut. "Again... No more hurting, no kill!" and then a keening wail of "Why?"

Abraham didn't have a gun. What the bloody hell was the beast on about? was it the hammer? Did Alucard not know what a hammer was, and so was calling it a gun? "Were you scared of the hammer? I'll make sure Abraham doesn't have it. He doesn't want to hurt you, Alucard. He's worried for you. He doesn't want to hurt you at all. All he wanted was to help you fix the coffin. Like I did."

x x x x x

Fix the coffin? But how? A gun? Miserable, the words made no sense. What hammer? How? "Hammer?" What was Jacobs talking about?

Wait here...the man had said wait here? He'd been gentle, and there was no fear of Jacobs, not now...though when the man rose and left the room it was hard not to go and hide. But Priest didn't go far, right by the doors, and he came right back in. Hammer? He was saying he had a hammer?

Yes, he had a hammer. Why? Why was hammer important? He stared at it, confused, tracing over the head of it with a finger, wondering. Curling back up by the now-seated Jacobs, he waited for the explanation. Priest was not encouraging him to leave, was staying to keep him safe, not telling him to work in the room with Master, not at all. Safe, here. Why hammer?

x x x x x x

The vampire's look held no fear of the hammer at all, and it was while holding it and looking at the vampire that Jacobs began to see what might have happened. The vampire was so spooked, so skittish...it had jumped entirely to the wrong conclusion. And Abraham said he'd shot it when he'd found Sean dead...Oh, Mary Mother of God...it was the finger incident all over again.

"Alucard...did you think Abraham had a gun tonight?" Red eyes stared at him, and a frown. Clearly, the vampire KNEW Abraham had been holding a gun, he didn't just "think" it... "Oh, you poor thing." The sympathy in his voice was clear, the pity...but the beast deserved pity and understanding for its terror and confusion. "He didn't have a gun, Alucard. He was holding the hammer. There was no gun."

It took time for the vampire to process this, and then it literally slumped in relief, actually touching his leg. He was as surprised as he'd ever seen Alucard as the chilly face pressed between his calf and the front of the chair, a cool breeze against him as the vampire let out a long, shuddering sigh. It was hard not to touch the creature, give it a reassuring pet, but doing so would spook Alucard...and, he had to admit, affect him as well. And so he didn't, simply watching the top of the hat and the slumped, limp form of the beast.

"Why did you think he wanted to shoot you?"

The vampire mumbled a response, too ennervated by the sudden removal of the fear of the gun to react strongly to the question. "Before. Shot me before."

"He made a mistake, Alucard." And what a miserable mistake it had been. But Alucard pushed himself upright, shaking his head, solemn red eyes fixed on his own.

"NOT mistake. Three shots." The vampire was firm on this, and Jacobs tried to determine what the beast was talking about. It HAD been a mistake, Abraham had thought the beast had tried to murder Sean, had no idea how provoked the poor creature had been. Arms crossed and gripped tight, the vampire rocked a bit, looking horribly sad again, then paused. Red eyes watched him closely, and he could see the vampire thinking. The mouth opened and closed, opened again, and he waited patiently with an encouraging look on his face. Perhaps now he'd get some answer to the mystery of why the beast was suddenly so frightened, and of Abraham, of all people!

Alucard managed one word. Whispered, forced out, almost inaudible, as though he were afraid to ask...but he did anyways.

"Why?"

x x x x x x

He stared at Priest, terrified that asking would remind Priest, and that Priest would want to destroy him, too. But there were no weapons in the room...he could escape, probably. And Priest...would not hurt him.

He hoped.

And then Priest spoke, and explained.

x x x x x

He needed space to think, needed comfort... PUshing up from the floor, he moved to his coffin, collapsing beside it, taking comfort in its solidity and safety. Priest remained by the door, good.

He was jumbled inside. An English word. Jumbled. But it fit him. Jumbled. Master thought HE had attacked SEAN? How had Master not seen, not smelled, what had happened? Master...it was a great mistake. A very great one. Master should not make such terrible mistakes. But...he had. Had thought ALUCARD had betrayed HIM.

And so had shot.

Had not given him to Sean. Had not tried to kill him for killing Sean...not really.

Had planned to destroy him, yes...and a shudder. That had been a near thing, a very near thing, stake almost through his heart. Memory of the pain pulled his lips from his teeth, and he gasped a bit. But had not. Could not. Though he was free, escaped, and Master knew about him trying to bite the Horse Woman, would not kill him. Would not.

Footsteps, though they didn't come all the way to him. Priest...yes, it was Priest. Why? A tiny trace of fear, for Priest was still Man, but only tiny, for the Man was Priest. He looked up, wondering, still confused and befuddled and...jumbled.

x x x x x

He'd explained as he could. Alucard...well, he didnt know if the vampire's inability to understand human motives was because it was a vampire, or because it was so broken. But the beast was entirely confused and uncertain of Abraham, and with reason, really. It hadn't understood that Abraham could come in the room, see Sean's remains, and not KNOW what had happened. It had thought that Abraham had simply changed his mind about killing it. Well, if it didn't know why Abraham had tried to shoot it in the first place, and didn't know why the man had decided NOT to kill him with the stake, well, no wonder it was uncertain and nervous.

He'd been surprised when the vampire had risen and made its unsteady way to the coffin, curling up and holding it like a child with a stuff animal. The arm was draped inside it, head resting on the edge, body curled up against the wooden side...and the dazed red eyes staring out at nothing.

He'd moved to the vampire, wondering if it was alright, and had been very, very relieved to see the red eyes immediately move to focus on him. Distant, though, withdrawn...was the vampire seeking privacy now?

"Would you like me to go?" A definite nod. "Do you want me to leave the doors unlocked, so you may join us?" The vampire clearly was thinking about it, and Jacobs continued further. "If you don't, I'll make certain it's locked tight before I leave." A nod, then, and a sigh...Alucard very clearly wanted space and quiet to think.

Jacobs rose and took his leave, and the vampire remained by the coffin, lost in thought.

It was over an hour later when Alucard rose and, hesitantly and quietly, made his way to the door of the room they were cleaning.

Daniel's frightened yelp when he saw the vampire standing silently and so near pulled the edges of the vampire's mouth up in a slight smile, sharp tips of fangs gleaming.

Abraham was racked with guilt but so very, very glad to see Alucard that he couldn't help beaming like a fool. The vampire was still skittish around him, still uncertain, and prone to stopping randomly in his cleaning to just...stare. Jacobs had explained what he thought had been going through the beast's mind, and what Alucard had said, and he hurt inside for the mental agony he'd put the beast through yet again.

Yet here the vampire was, muddy rag in hand, calm and gentle expression on his face as he steadily wiped and cleaned the wall. As long as both Abraham and Jacobs were in the room, there was only calm and peace on the beast's face. He didn't know how long it would be until the beast would again trust him to be alone with it...but after the amazing recovery he'd already seen tonight, he had hopes it would be only a day or so more.

And he was going to BURN that damn hammer then give the head of it to a blacksmith to pound flat!  
> <p>


	89. Chapter 89

Ch 89

The wall was clean. He stepped back, looking at it critically. A few nights of peace, of being with Abraham and Priest, of plentiful food and a safely locked door, and Abraham's steady support and gentleness, and he was...better. Functioning, now.

He wasn't sure how long this would last before Abraham turned on him again, but having Father Jacobs there...it helped. If Abraham turned on him. No, not if. When. When Abraham turned on him again, made another unpredictable and terrible mistake, Father Jacobs would be there. And so he relaxed in their presence, steadily cleaning the next room.

And it was clean, now. The walls were bare of grime, down to rough stone, scrubbed and soaped and rinsed. The floor had been raked to remove debris, swept, scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with heavy rough brushes, rinsed and cleaned again. Then the walls, another time, for the dirt from the floor's scrubbings had flecked them brown.

And he was done. That disgusting, slimed, mildewed wall was now a clean dark gray, the granite's texture and crystalline structure clear and visible, little flecks dancing in the room's light. Behind him, Abraham dumped the last bucket of dirty rinse water down the floor drain, and Father Jacobs began gathering the cleaning supplies to be removed.

And he smiled at the wall. It had been so filthy, and now...it wouldn't have looked out-of-place upstairs. Such menial work, but it didn't reduce the sense of accomplishment, of pride in what he'd accomplished.

And the menial, mindless work had helped him recover many of his faculties as well. It had been steady, quiet work with constant motion, keeping him from freezing or dwelling on his prior experiences and trauma. No one but Abraham or the priest had been in the room with him for more than a few minutes, all of them being respectful of his fragility while he regained his mental footing. He appreciated their care, their concern, though he didn't truly understand it.

With the loss of his fear, the odd emotions he felt towards Abraham were resurfacing. He'd been hesitant about accepting the man back as his Master, afraid that any restoration of their bond would leave him shattered at yet another betrayal. But he couldn't function without someone to lead him, his mind screamed for such a relationship, the instincts of a vampire child. And so, with reservations and hesitation, he'd allowed those instincts to focus on Abraham again.

So...what now? The wall was clean. Almost spotless. He turned to Abraham, waiting.

x x x x x x

The room was clean, the vampire functioning...both fine accomplishments in and of themselves. And soon they could expand the labs into this third room. Others were coming to help study, he'd soon have a veritable troop of other researchers under his guidance. Viktor was nearly done with the notes, had questioned Abraham mercilessly every afternoon about the vampire and their interactions, and there was every hope that the man would soon feel able to craft a suitable set of restraints for the vampire in the foreseeable future.

The vampire that was even now watching him, a calm and inquisitive look on his face. And speaking, too.

"What is next, Master?"

x x x x x

He really ought to see about Alucard beginning his blood donations again. He should. Everyone had been very understanding about the situation, had been making-do with what blood they already had. Instead of research and experimentation, they'd been gathering more equipment, ordering new items from the glass-blowers, buying additional items so that they wouldn't be waiting and waiting for another person to finish with a needed item. Their evenings had been consumed with ordering and repairing, cleaning the hallway outside and such, but it was time and more than time to begin researching again.

And he almost asked the vampire to donate blood, so that he could start again that night.

And then reconsidered.

Every night, he'd come down at sunset, fed the vampire, then they'd cleaned, companionable and side-by-side. Well past midnight, often until dawn, creating a room far cleaner than the others had been. Alucard had been obedient, unquestioning, and worked steadily.

Dammit, bindings or not, the beast deserved a reward. With Viktor and Father Michael in and out of his office, retrieving books and notes, he'd kept the vampire in the more private basement. The beast hadn't seen anything but those stone walls since Viktor had unintentionally terrified it!

To Hell with that.

"Alucard...let's go outside." Eyes widened in surprise, then the beast grinned. He had to smile back, he'd long since stopped being frightened by the deadly dentition of his ward.

It was only a matter of minutes before they were outside, back in their small courtyard. Alucard was leaning on the rough bark of the tree, breathing deeply, taking in the damp late-night and early-morning smells on the heavy dew-laden air, eyes fixed on the sky. A smile curved the beast's lips.

And curved Abraham's as well. The bench was cool and solid under him, the pipe warm in his mouth, the tobacco smoke burned his throat and lungs pleasantly, and he was content.

Alucard was speaking, moving freely, no longer terrified, hunched, nervous, and silent. And as long as he kept from making yet another inexusable error, Alucard was likely to remain so.

Until the vampire recovered substantially more than it had, he'd have to view him more as someone to be protected, not something to be protected from. He only hoped that recovery was a long, slow process.

He enjoyed the company of Alucard, enjoyed the quiet humor that occasionally surfaced, the calm and obedient behavior, the intelligence that was sometimes available when the beast was at its calmest and most collected.

He didn't think he'd enjoy the company of Dracula, or at least as long as the monster let him live. He rather thought that time would be very, very brief.

But for now, he'd let Alucard wander about the yard, enjoying the breeze, the thick grass, the clear and bright sky. And he'd enjoy his pipe and his vampire. 


	90. Chapter 90

Ch 90

"This will only take a moment...shh...one moment." A font of patience, trying to keep any and all annoyance and irritation from his voice and face, Abraham stood holding the scissors and comb gently. Alucard's wary red eyes watched the scissors closely, his face clearly indicating his disagreement with his Master's statement. As the scissors moved closer, the vampire leaned away.

Again.

"Alucard, come on." Exasperation was creeping into the man's voice, try as he might to mask it. "We've been drawing blood from you for two nights now. You agreed yesterday to allow us to take some of your hair." He straightened, hands on his hips, looking for all the world like an irritated farmwife as he scowled down at the vampire. "I want to clip a small sample of your hair. That's all." A foot began to tap. "You'll let me draw blood from you without a flinch, but a mere snip of the hair has you cringing?"

The vampire simply stared up at him, mouth compressed tight, then the gaze returning to the scissors as Abraham moved them towards the vampire again.

And, again, the vampire began to tilt away...

Time for a new tactic.

"Would you prefer to cut your hair yourself?" The red eyes got very wide, the vampire shaking his head, emphatically signalling his reluctance to do so.

Abraham gave it up as a bad job, tossing the scissors on the nearby worktable, then sitting back down on his stool near the vampire. The vampire, perched on his own stool, lost some of his protective hunch and sat straighter.

"WHY won't you let me cut your hair?" He groaned, not really expecting a reply. While Alucard was certainly far more verbal, nearly his old self at times, he could be, well, stubborn. Abraham sometimes felt like the parent of a toddler.

And Alucard answered, his voice indignant and hurt and offended. "They're SILVER."

A blink. Abraham picked up the scissors for a moment, looking at them. He sighed.

"They are not silver. They are steel. Polished steel, for surgical use. Nothing more. No silver." Seeing the blatant skepticism in the beast's eyes, he rose. The vampire didn't startle at his movement, a welcome change indeed. He picked up used needle and tube from the earlier blood draw, the scissors, and sat back down.

NOW Alucard looked worried. "Calm down. I'm going to show you that these are not silver." A few moments of squeezing, and a drip of vampiric blood came out of the tube to hover above the scissors, elongating to stretch down, finally releasing to fall on the scissors.

And immediately snap, sizzle, and smoke. Abraham yelped in startlement, falling off the stool to land on the floor with a painful thump. The scissors clattered down beside him, the hose and needle snaking off the edge of the table to join him.

Alucard's look was the very best of teenage "I TOLD you so." smugness. It was Abraham's turn to blink, looking up at the vampire. Alucard remained perched on his stool, smirking back down.

Damn monster. But..."Alucard...how on Earth did you know there was silver in those scissors?"

"Fredrick brought them down earlier. They're his. And they were using them as a silver alloy for tests." Still quiet, but eloquent. Alucard was clearly far too amused and smug to be nervous.

"Fredrick? These are Fredrick's?" A solemn red-eyed nod. "Then where the bloody hell are the scissors the maid brought for me to use?" The long arm unfolded from the vampire to point silently at a shelf across the room. Abraham's eyes followed the point to see the sturdy, prosaic clear silvery steel scissors from the surgery waiting silently and very obviously on the shelf.

With a groan, he levered himself off the floor. Dammit, but he'd have a bruise tomorrow! The offending scissors and the blood drawing supplies were scooped up and left on the shelf while he went to retrieve the other pair.

Within moments, the vampire's head was tilted obediently down, the comb had picked up a few strands, and the scissors were snicking through them. With the comb preventing him from actually touching the vampire, Alucard had no objection at all.

And the damn beast was still smirking as he took the hair sample off to give to the others to test. 


	91. Chapter 91

Ch 91

Viktor shuffled through his notes, frowning. This was simply not adding up.

He could accept that the vampire was broken, yes. That much was clearly obvious. But it had told Abraham that it had killed seven vampires. And now that it was coherent, it had also claimed to kill an eighth vampire as well as drive off yet another vampire while out on its own.

Out, away from its soil for several days, and away from its own coffin, and starving, and it supposedly had driven away another vampire.

It seemed weak, he could definitely FEEL that it was vampiric, but he'd have said it was at best newly-changed and from a low-level vampire at that. So either it was lying, or its power was greatly reduced.

The wards that Abraham had described to him were entirely inactive. He couldn't see them under that damned thick layer of plaster, but was certain that they didn't work. Those wards, correctly placed and formed, would have reduced the monster's abilities, yes. He'd inspected the metal manacles and the collar, recognizing some of his own work in their creation, his own spells and symbols. Those would have depressed its abilities, too. With the fetters and correctly-placed wards, yes, the vampire's abilities would be substantially reduced, its power muffled.

But the wards weren't done right, the manacles and collar were removed, and the vampire wasn't downstairs when Viktor observed him. So...had he lied to Abraham, or was something affecting his abilities, weakening him?

He'd also gone through the walls. Twice. With witnesses. Not just Abraham, but Viktor had spoken with the cook and maid as well. Both had confirmed that the vampire hadn't just gone through a window, but through the wall itself. That...had been new. He'd known of reports of demons passing through solid substances, but a vampire? There were few enough reports of them as a mist, bat, or a wolf, all forms this one had taken, and none at all of them moving through walls as though insubstantial.

Alucard simply had to have been more powerful previously. Either than, or he had highly developed mental abilities and had managed to convince all three people that he'd gone through a wall, bent their minds, prevented them from seeing a more normal exit.

Either the vampire was lying about what it had done and had influenced the witnesses to believe it had passed through wall, or it was being honest and it had been far more powerful. Considering that Abraham's group had put a knife through its heart and it went on living, he suspected it had previously been quite powerful indeed. So...why was it so weak, now?

Would it stay weak?

He was confident that he could fashion a set of fetters suitable for a weak vampire within a few days, ones sturdier than the former set. Knowing the actual vampire they'd be used on would be a great help, for they could be keyed to work on Alucard himself and not need to be flexible to contain a variety of possible vampires or other creatures. The original set of fetters had been a fantastic piece of work; they'd have held a vampire, werewolf, goblin; really, almost any supernatural creature.

He only needed to fashion a set to hold a weak vampire. Specifically, Alucard. That was far easier to make, especially since he had the vampire at hand as well as the original set to copy.

But if the vampire recovered back to its original strength, those fetters wouldn't hold him any more than a piece of string would hold a mastiff.

Assuming that its original strength was actually more than its current level of abilities.

With a final frown, he shuffled the papers into a neat pile. He hated that basement; damp, dirty, gritty, and reeking of vampire and rat piss. For the last week, he'd successfully avoided being on any sort of cleanup detail, dodging the expectation by insisting that he didn't understand the notes, that he needed to unpack, that it was vital he study the information immediately.

But he'd have to go down there. Observing Alucard and studying the vampire in more detail was the best way for him to determine if the vampire was truly weak, or if it was temporary. If it was a weak vampire, he'd slap some restraints on it and be returning home within the weak.

He hoped the damned beast was a weak vampire and a talented liar and manipulator. Papers tidy, he stalked off towards the basement to spend some time watching the vampire. 


	92. Chapter 92

(Quick response to a few questions I've gotten. It's not the huge manor that you see in the Anime, but simply a largish country house. More a wealthy farm home or abode of a minor lord at most. Big, with a huge basement and some land, but something Abraham could afford as a renowned doctor and specialist.)

Ch 92

Viktor had commandeered the cushioned armchair and had it moved into the newest room. It was also the cleanest room; though to his senses it still reeked of vampire, it lacked the underlying stench of the others. The miasma of rat piss and mildew was greatly reduced in it. A scented candle at his side on its rickety brass stand helped dispel the scent even more.

With a warm blanket wrapped about him, a smooth board across the arms serving as a writing surface, and a mug of mulled wine, he was relatively comfortable. He'd much rather have been upstairs in his own lab doing this, but Abraham, damn him, had refused. Van Helsing wanted to study various vampiric tissues, and that meant he was staying in the basement. And the vampire stayed whereever Van Helsing was.

And so Viktor had been forced to come into the cold stench of the basement to study the vampire. It had taken it hours to relax with him there, an annoyance on his part, and it had hissed at him a few times. Now, it had settled, hovering about Abraham, handing over test tubes and providing the occasional sample of hair or nail clippings upon request.

It was entirely too pathetic. And he observed how its eyes trailed after Abraham, how they lit up slightly with any praise, and wondered. It was like watching a beaten dog trying to please a cruel owner, though Van Helsing was spoiling the beast. Vampires were monsters, deserving of no pity, no mercy.

And here Abraham was, promising to take it outside. OUTSIDE! and why? To PLAY.

Entirely ridiculous, and he snorted softly. Alucard heard him, red eyes moving his way briefly, but Abraham remained oblivious.

And so he reviewed Abraham's notes and Fredrick's notes and wondered, watching the vampire. And as Alucard settled down and forgot about him, silent in his corner, he began to study the beast.

x x x x x x x

Alucard gently tipped the crucible, as Abraham directed. Part of him shivered with a touch of fear at the proximity of the heated metals, part of him was fascinated as the silver and tin melted together, forming an alloy. He'd measured out the shavings so carefully, and was now making the precise concentration Abraham had requested.

The basement had only so much good air, and with the candles and lanterns, the others occasionally complained of being light-headed. Doors were opened, and there was as much air as possible, but it was still poorly-circulated and difficult, at times, for the men to breathe well. And so he'd been asked, more instructed, to take over the small forge and melt the metals. He didn't need oxygen, and if the room he was in was a little lacking at times, the men would simply move closer to the door. The far end of the last useful room was given to the vampire and the flames, with no worries of Alucard fainting! And so he was now bent over the gas flame with his crucibles and tongs, melting and mixing and pouring the alloys into sand and wax molds to make little disks for testing.

It was all new to him, metallurgy. He'd never been closer to it than ordering shoes for a horse or eating a smith or jeweler. And it was fascinating, if fearful, to have that hot, melted silver so close to his own skin. But he remained focused on it, careful, careful, no spill, no splash, careful to melt and mix and forge the metal for master. It took all his concentration, and that helped him ignore Viktor.

Viktor worried him. Master had explained that the man was going to watch him, observe him, and that was...upsetting. He'd recovered better than expected, well enough to recognize more fully the power that Viktor wielded. The man was a better sorcerer than he was, undeniably talented. And while he'd hidden his abilities, damped them down well, he worried that Viktor would realize this.

And sometimes, especially when Viktor's eyes were on him too long, he remembered waking to find the sweating Viktor looming over him. And that was frightening, too.

But the man was old. Frail. Hated the basement, avoided it when he could. Not threatening physically, really, like the younger and stronger men were. And Master was there. So...Alucard ignored the staring, the cold and calculating gaze, and worked with Master.

And learned to mix and melt and cast metals. A small smile tugged up at the corner of his mouth. Him, making little silver amulets, working like a jeweler. The sheer absurdity of it struck him as funny in its bizarreness, and he continued on with the work in good humor. As incredibly inappropriate as it might be, he was enjoying this, learning new techniques, new ideas, not bored at all. And he was being useful.

And learning more about his likely weaknesses and tolerances than he'd ever expected, too, from all these studies.

x x x x x x

The vampire's mouth quirked up, and Viktor frowned. He'd been warned and warned again that the vampire would trigger lust, and ignored those warnings. He was far too old to fall prey to bodily urges, and if he did, acting on such urges was often merely wishful thinking.

And yet the vampire was beautiful. He'd forgone his observations of its actions and behavior to simply study the grace of its movements. So precise, so smooth, the red eyes utterly focused on the equipment it worked with. The face was lovely, the blue and orange flames making it glow, adding a false pink to the cheeks and warmth to the skin.

The smile changed him from elegant and graceful to stunning.

Damn vampire. Their ability to inspire such unwanted reactions ranked right up with their disgusting magical "feel" and unholy monstrosity as reasons to loathe the beasts.

Loathe Alucard he might, but the beast was quite lovely. Weak or not, when he was under control, Abraham would have quite the pet to show off! 


	93. Chapter 93

(This is Viktor's POV)

Ch 93

Alucard was definitely on edge this night, pacing and occasionally raising his head to sniff the air nervously.

Foolish, stupid beast. Abraham had brought in a team of carpenters during the day, installing at least a minimal bit of venting in each of the workrooms. Not much, no, but they freshened up the air at least a bit. And the entire day had been filled with the sounds of chisels and hammers and saws, for Abraham had paid extra to have the holes finished by evening. They'd come previously to look at the building from the upstairs, deciding how and where to place the vents, and today, they'd done it. Each room had a rectangle cut through the ceiling above it, a large, black, flared hood suspended from it. That hood hung from a rectangular duct, which vented out the walls.

Abraham had been very worried about the air; that fool child Danny had fainted the day before, ignoring his dizziness to continue his work. He hadn't liked the idea of cutting into the floors, but the carpenters had done their jobs well. The pipes entered the ceiling, ran between floor joists, up inside the walls, and then exited out three separate grates. No light came down them, but the fresh air was definitely helping. At least, it was helping the people.

Abraham had worried that having the men in the basement would spook the vampire, and knowing that they'd be back the next day would have thoroughly upset the beast. So he'd paid a substantial sum to hire a contingent of workers, and gotten it all done in a single day. And he'd been correct, Viktor admitted sourly to himself, for the vampire would have been a worthless mess if the men had planned to return. So they'd done it all in one day. Even so, the lingering scent of the mass of workers combined with the occasional draft of fresher air down one of the rectangular vents had the vampire jumpy and wide-eyed.

The vampire had not been happy that a mass of men had been in the corridor outside its room while it slept. But it was now quietly sweeping up the chips of stone and wiping off the sawdust from the shelves, and it had finally stopped its damnable whining.

Ridiculous. Ridiculous that it was so timid, so pathetic, and ridiculous that Abraham would spoil it. Imagine, paying twice again what he ought so that the vampire wouldn't be unhappy at the modifications to the house!

Stupid man. He had no idea what a vampire truly was, and didn't deserve the beast. He'd just keep it as a damned housepet, regardless of how useful a vampire could be. A housepet and a bit of animated art, maybe, showing off how pretty it was.

Scowling, unseen by Abraham and Alucard, Viktor briefly glared at them both.

Foolish of him. He was here to control that beast. No time for pettiness. He'd seen enough of its behavior now to feel comfortable predicting some basic responses. Essentially, if he substituted a whipped and beaten dog, he'd see about the same response. Pathetic.

But time to focus and do some actual non-physical observation of the beast.

While the vampire cleaned, he pulled into himself, focusing, preparing to thoroughly inspect the vampire with his other senses.

x x x x x

It reeked of men. Many men, sweaty men. And just when he'd manage to ignore the scent, to achieve some semblance of relaxation, an inevitable gust of fresh air brought a deluge of scents that bothered him on an instinctive level, that should not be down here! Fresh sawn wood, the grasses of the lawn, of trees, the pungent scent of the stables, all funneled down to throw him off, throw his instincts in disarray. It was unnerving, and it shouldn't be. He'd seen the vents, Master had explained to him what had been done, but the conflict of the dark and quiet with the scent of the outdoors, combined and intertwined with the heavy scent of so many laboring men...it was just wrong.

And so he fussed to himself, frowning, jumpy. The unexpected gust of a breeze down the vents caused him to startled, nearly knocking a rack of tubes from the table. A few moments later, the unpredictable breeze stirred a dose of scent, a pocket left from the workmen, to him, causing him to hunch and tense, fingers tight on the broomstick, wide eyes darting about, searching for the men that had crept up on him.

None there. With a grumble for his timidity and nerves, he continued to sweep, wipe, clean. Abraham's occasional sympathetic look didn't help any. He was a vampire, not a mouse, he was NOT frightened of a breeze or a lingering smell.

And he was.

And then he felt something else. Not the cold breeze from the vents, but a touch. Unwelcome. He twisted, hissing at the man who'd so-gently and so-quietly placed fingertips on his shoulder...to find no one there.

He was so spooked he was imaginging things. And, mood rapidly becoming more and more sour, he cleaned. More touches, and he'd twitch, shiver, sometimes spin about to see no one there. Only Abraham, watching him with concern, and Viktor, watching him with a sort of malicious delight.

A hiss at Viktor, which the old man simply ignored, and a few moments spent reassuring Master that he was alright, simply...jumpy. Nervous. Feeling things.

And developing a headache. He didn't GET headaches. He gave them. Headaches could happen from injury, starvation, the unexpected bright glare of the sun, but now? So odd. Was it something in the room affecting him unexpectedly? Had Master found another weakness?

No...nothing. No focal point of his discomfort, nothing for him to remove. Careful scenting of the air...nothing in the air, no garlic fumes wafting down those pipes. Frustrating, uncomfortable, he was becoming more and more miserable.

Blood. The breeze had brought him the scent of blood. Startled, his eyes snapped up, darting about the room, to find Abraham standing by him.

x x x x x

"Alucard, I've been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes!" The red eyes finally focused on him, the blood scent breaking through the beast's concentration and distraction. "What the devil is wrong?" The vampire simply shrugged, looking miserable and still distracted, but at least its focus was no longer on sniffing about the air, but on him. "Here." The proffered cut was immediately licked, the vampire clearly savoring the taste of the hot, fresh blood. Alucard had told him quite plainly, when asked, that the cold blood was filling and sufficient, but mere sustenance. Hot blood, freely given, was apparently a vampiric ambrosia.

And it was working. Alucard's hunched shoulders were relaxing, the furrowed line between his eyebrows smoothing. It was a taste of his blood, nothing more. After the blood loss of his injured leg, then his feeding of Alucard to calm him a week or so earlier, he wasn't able to give the beast a few mouthfuls as he'd like to do.

But he could soothe it, and was.

"Come on. Let's go outside." Red eyes opened wider, surprised. He had to smile, the vampire was accustomed to going outside as a reward, and clearly didn't expect to be rewarded for merely cleaning the room. And it was so early, the sun had been down a mere hour and they were just starting on the night's work.

An encouraging smile, and then Abraham moved to the door. "You're tense and nervous. A walk out in the fresh air will help. Come on." A nod to Viktor, who looked disgruntled, and no wonder. The old man had made it downstairs, gotten himself comfortably ensconced in his chair, began to watch the vampire...and now he was taking the vampire away!

"Viktor, we'll be back inside in an hour or so. My apologies, but this is needed." The old Russian gave him an irritable wave of a blue-veined and lumpy hand, turning back to his notes with a slight scowl and a grunt of annoyance.

Rude bastard, really. But Alucard was crowding at his heels, and so Abraham took his vampire outside.

Alucard might be expecting to go back to their little courtyard, but Abraham had been quite serious about going for a walk. He'd been cooped in the house or basement far too much lately, and needed to get his blood moving. He intended to take the vampire out for a walk about his small estate. No leash this time, and no John to shoot it, either!

They wouldn't be returning to the house until they were both good and ready to be cooped up in that basement again! 


	94. Chapter 94

(Viktor's POV again)

Ch 94

The beast could certainly detect him. With no one around to see, Viktor grinned to himself. It had been amusing, really. He'd just been "feeling" about the vampire, trying to understand the creature better, and the vampire had spooked. He'd had no idea the creature would notice it was being studied, but it undeniably had.

Of course, he'd already analyzed its aura, detected what types of probes triggered a reaction and which were ignored, but it had been far too much fun watching the bastard twitch and jump. He'd spent a few more minutes poking at it for fun, trying hard to keep the amusement off his own face as the already-nervous vampire twitched, spun about, and snapped at what it was feeling.

Those few minutes were minutes wasted. He'd just started the slow process of digging into the beast's mind, or what was left of it, and Abraham had taken it out. The grin faded to a scowl. He'd been drilling his way into the vampire, trying to get past its natural shields and the protective layer of its aura, to find out more about its abilities and nature. The vampire had detected that as well, complaining to Van Helsing of a headache.

And before he could even begin to study the beast in earnest, the man had taken it outside!

Frustrating. But, there was a beaker of fresh blood waiting for the men to study it. And he wanted to see how vampire blood would function as a component of spells. He had an idea for how to contain the beast, based on the blood...but it needed studying.

A few minutes later, and the depth of blood in the beaker was reduced a finger's width. Stiffly and with grumblings at the cold of the basement and his uncooperative joints, Viktor was moving to his own lab with a vial of the missing blood.

He'd spend the rest of the night in his own, warm room. He'd learned a bit about the vampire already, and now it was time to do his own research on the blood.

x x x x x

By morning, Viktor was ecstatic. Simple binding spells and cantrips, when powered by vampiric blood and not human, were far more effective. It was as great as the difference between using human blood and animal blood!

And this was just the blood. He longed to find out what bone, skin, even the organs of a vampire might be able to accomplish! Abraham had no idea of the value of the beast under his roof. Even if nothing but blood was useful, and even if the blood lost potency in a week or so, it was so effective and so valuable that Viktor could become rich selling it to other practicioners, could keep it himself and become far, far more powerful.

Eyes shining with thoughts of the power and wealth the vampire represented, it was difficult to sleep.

But sleep he eventually did. And he knew how to bind the beast, too.  
> <p>


	95. Chapter 95

Ch 95

(POV flips fairly regularly. Look for the x x x to mark that)

He'd expected to be taken out to the quiet little courtyard, but Abraham wasn't heading that way at all. Perhaps Master was picking up a jacket, or changing clothes? Bemused but patient, Alucard trailed behind him, only to have Abraham head right for the front door.

The front door? Alucard nearly stumbled in his surprise, but, yes, they were going out into the main yard itself. Master glanced back over his shoulder, humor wrinkling the corner of his eye, and, embarrassed, Alucard fought to get the stunned expression off his face. He must look like a silly sheep! Forcing his face into a more composed expression, he followed his Master out the door, pausing briefly as the chill air gusted refreshing against his face.

x x x x

Abraham paused a few steps from the door, turning to watch the monster. Alucard took a few steps out, then halted, lifting his face, eyes closed, into the wind. A great, deep breath, then his eyes opened, face lowering to smile happily at his Master.

Abraham had to chuckle. The beast was so child-like at times, so utterly delighted by simply being taken outside. He wasn't worried anymore, really. Alucard had confirmed to himself and to Abraham that he simply could not exist on his own, and that Abraham could and would find him if he attempted to escape. There really was no reason to keep the vampire mewed up inside, or to put a leash on him.

And there was every reason to be outside in the bracing air, rich and lively and invigorating, instead of the dark, mildewed, enclosed basement.

"Let's go. It's too nice a night to just stand here." Alucard's grin answered his, and with a powerful stride, Abraham set off into the night, vampire following.

x x x x x

It was a simply lovely night, and so good to be out and moving. Master led him down the lane to the gate, then turned to follow inside the wall about the house. With surprising agility, Abraham lifted himself over the wall at the end, dropping the few feet into what appeared to be a horse pasture. Unable to resist showing off, Alucard leapt lightly to the top off the wall, grinning at Abraham as he balanced atop it, then dropping lightly to land beside Master.

x x x x

Chuckling, Abraham led them on, strolling casually across the field. The moon was out and bright, the stars beaming, the sky impossibly clear, and Abraham had forgone the lantern. Unlike the previous, disastrous experience, there was little to no danger of stepping in a hole tonight! Alucard wandered about him, not keeping himself to the steady pace of the human, but flitting about. Watching the vampire, Abraham was keenly aware of the vampire's increased senses. Alucard would glance down to stare at some random bit of grass, then lift to gaze up at the dark sky, then a few moments later, look over his shoulder.

The suspense and curiousity was simply too much.

"Alucard, what the devil are you looking at?"

The vampire looked a bit startled, then grinned. "All sorts of things. Mice are out, I can hear them scampering about. There were bats," and his long arm swept across the end of the field, "eating the insects near the trees." The arm fell, but the vampire continued on, definitely more verbose tonight than he'd been in far too long. "The wind is very strong out here, but between the house and the trees, it's weaker. They're having trouble, and it's almost too cold for them, but they're chirping and calling and, well, complaining!" The vampire's good humor continued to bubble, as he pointed farther, up into the window. "Up there is a female fox. I think she's ready to breed, and a male fox that's been bleeding, probably a fight of some kind. There's a few cows as well, and horses, a dog about somewhere." The red eyes lidded briefly, the vampire smiling, listening. "And a visitor. I hear a horse on the road, whether meant for here or elsewhere, I don't know."

Bemused, Abraham looked at the beast a few moments. Able to hear the bats and the mice, to smell the blood on a fox...what senses the vampire had! Speaking of bats...

"Alucard, you changed into a bat before. Is that something you'd be able to do again?" He wondered at this, for when Alucard had attempted to change or uses his powers before, there had been the fetters, the wards, and the vampire's own broken condition working against it.

It was unfettered now, completely unrestrained. Fed, rested. Relaxed. Coherent.

And he wondered...could the vampire shift?

Would it?

And...what would that be like, to see?

Curious, he paused, watching the vampire as Alucard halted beside him, the vampire's brow furrowed as it thought.

x x x x x

Could he change form? Well...yes. But...he'd have to cease hiding his abilities, and could Viktor detect them? No, not likely. The man was quite a distance away, underground...no. Unless Viktor was actively looking, there was no chance of being detected it. And even if the man was trying to detect him, at this distance, at night, with the walls of the house between them...he'd fail. Releasing his abilities for a bit wouldn't get him caught.

And it wouldn't involve pulling at powers he was a little reluctant to use. He had an amazing reservoir of power, deliberately harvested from each death, every time he'd spilled blood or taken a life. He'd used it before without thought, but now...no. He was still too weak. A strong soul could take him over and make him a prisoner in his own body!

As long as he kept those abilities contained, he'd be even harder for Viktor to spot.

Yes, he'd change for Master. As soon as he'd reached that decision, a gust of wind buffeted him yet again. It was a breezy, gusty night. Being a bat would be just foolish, he'd be blown about. But a wolf, yes. Would Master accept that?

"Master, it's too windy. A bat would be a poor choice. A wolf, perhaps?" Head tilted, he waited for Abraham's response. Yes, eh? With a grin, he remembered being a wolf. The set of his ears and tail, how his view of the world shifted, flattening, while able to see much more on his sides. The way his fur would lay itself along his sides, the sensation of paws gripping the earth. Dropping into mist, he pulled himself together into a wolf, not a man. And slowly, for Master was watching, would want to see.

A few minutes later, he stood on four paws, watching Master closely, wondering, and worrying slightly, about how Master would react.

x x x x x

Amazing. Simply...amazing. The vampire had seemed to melt, the body releasing into a tangled mass of black streamers and shadows and mist, then coalescing again...to form a wolf. An enormous wolf, half again the size of a proper wolf, head easily at the height of his waist, and he was not a small man.

It simply stood there, watching him alertly, the eyes the same hot red as Alucard's, plumed tail waving slowly in the air. The clothes were crumpled about its feet, and with a slow and majestic movement, the beast gracefully stepped away from them.

Standing in the short-cropped grass, glowing in the moonlight, Alucard was spectacular. Abraham couldn't help but grin. Wondering, he reached out with a hand to ruffle that soft fur, and was unsurprised but disappointed to see the wolf melt from beneath him.

"Alright, then. I won't touch you, though that fur looks far too soft." He smiled at the vampire, whose tail had lifted again and whose ears pulled back up, then bent to pick up the clothes. "Would you prefer to change back?" A moment, then the head wagged a clear side-to-side negation.

With a smile, discarded clothes tucked under his arm, Abraham turned to walk on. About him, the wolf frisked like a puppy. Alucard's first action was to hunt the mice he'd heard, pouncing on the little hillock and then sniffing mightily. Abraham actually heard the panicked squeaking of the trapped mouse, but was surprised when Alucard, having caught his prey, simply walked away from the terrified little creature.

Apparently, the fun was all in the catching. Within moments, the grass had ceased to rustle as the mouse made good its escape.

The rest of their walk consisted of frisking, random pounces, dashes about, and, at one point, a mad race across the field out of Abraham's sight! He would have worried except that he heard the squalling scream of a frightened fox. A moment later it flashed past him, wolf in hot pursuit. He wasn't sure where it went after that, but Alucard came trotting back, tongue out, clearly proud of himself.

Abraham couldn't help but laugh. Out of his human form, away from everyone but himself, the vampire was far more relaxed, clearly playful. Was it the form he was in, or was this the beast's natural temperament? It had no qualms about terrifying innocent beasts, causing their panic with a trace of cruel enjoyment, but wasn't bloodthirsty. Even the mouse had been unscathed.

He didn't know if Alucard was refraining from murdering the pests and creatures because he was here and observing, or if the vampire simply didn't wish to. In any case, it was making for quite the interesting walk!

It was well over an hour later when they turned their steps back towards the house. With reluctance, Alucard shifted back to human form, dressing quickly. A human would have been rapidly chilled in the wind, but the vampire paid it no mind at all. More sedate, but still clearly relaxed and more at-ease than Abraham had seen him, the vampire, and his Master, were rejuvenated and ready to begin their labors for the night. 


	96. Chapter 96

*filling in a few loose ends here, more than anything, and doing a bit of foreshadowing. If you sign in to leave a review and ask a question, I'll almost always send you a response and answer it. Noodle, this means you. ;) Thanks, everyone, for the reviews! Reading your reviews is a great way for me to spot inconsistencies and ideas I failed to completely develop, and it definitely improves the writing! :)*

Ch 96

Viktor was gone, a great relief to Alucard. Abraham, however, had other plans for the night. They'd studied hair and blood already, and Alucard had already donated tissues for the evening. And now...

"You wish me to spit in that?" Skeptical red eyes looked at the tube, then turned incredulously up to Abraham.

"Well, yes. Your saliva isn't like human saliva. It heals. We'd like to study exactly how that occurs." The vampire just blinked at him. "For starters, does it only heal humans? Or can it heal an animal?"

Interesting concept. Alucard thought on it for several moments. Had he ever healed an animal? What about his offspring? There wasn't any real reason it shouldn't be able to do so...but could it? What an odd thought. Master's mind worked in a variety of odd ways, and for now, yes, he'd do this. Master wanted this, and now he, too, was curious!

Actually causing his mouth to water was difficult. Without visible blood, it didn't easily salivate, and Abraham resorted to pricking his finger. There were horses in the stable, and Alucard followed mildly after Abraham as the man went to test them.

"Well...Alucard? Shouldn't it have healed by now?" The fly bite on the horse's back had provided an easy injury. The scab had been pulled off, and a bit of cotton used to coat the wound with the saliva. And it had healed, somewhat. The reddened area was smaller, the wound was seeping far less, but it hadn't healed entirely.

Alucard shrugged. He wasn't sure exactly why it hadn't healed. He'd focused on creating the healing properties in the saliva, which had taken extra work and energy, but it hadn't healed the horse even so. Perhaps it didn't work on animals.

Grumbling, Abraham pulled off his glove, working briefly at the pricked finger and again bringing a bit of blood to the surface. Dabbing at the tiny injury with the saliva didn't do much beyond get it wet; it remained sore, though less so, and a small spot of blood was slowly growing over it.

By the approach of morning, Abraham had ten sore and pricked fingers and Alucard's mouth was running dry. They'd deduced that, when very fresh, it was able to heal, but the mending properties of the saliva quickly vanished. Abraham wished to try storing it on ice, but Alucard was disinterested. It couldn't be easily stored, or used otherwise, and his brief but definite worry of being kept to harvest the saliva had diminished. He didn't expect ice would help it; it had lost potency in a matter of minutes. Master thought it was due to some chemical interaction, some degradation. Alucard was quite certain that the inherent, unnatural, unscientific powers of the vampire simply could not exist away from it. After all, there was hardly anything scientific or logical about his ability to change into a wolf; why would there be such a characteristic about his ability to heal?

Abraham seemed quite frustrated by the continued failure of the saliva to work. When very, very fresh, it healed nicely; Alucard had humored the man so far as to actually spit on the horse, and the fly bite had vanished immediately. He could heal animals, an interesting fact, and one that he hadn't been aware of at all.

Also, the saliva seemed immune to the effect of silver and holy objects after a few minutes. There was an initial sizzle, which Alucard assigned to the lingering vampiric nature, but once a sample was more than a handful of minutes old, it ceased to react entirely.

It was such an odd discovery. Both priests, Daniel, and Fredrick had crowded in to watch and offer suggestions during the initial testing, leaving Alucard crowded warily into the corner. He'd taken them at their word that it was reacting, unable to see and unwilling to move that close to so many men. Afterwards, with Abraham watching, he'd tested a fresh drop and seen the same result with his own eyes. Truly odd, that unlike all the other substances, be it blood, or hair, or the clippings of his nails...the saliva lost its vampiric nature immediately.

When Abraham's yawns finally outnumbered his words, he bid the vampire goodnight and locked the door behind him, seeking his own bed. Alucard sat quietly on the floor and thought for a bit.

Abraham...at some point, the man was going to turn on him again. It had happened in the past, there was no reason to expect the man to be reliable for however long it took to recover his wits. But for now...he was enjoying himself. The craving inside himself for a leader was satisfied with Abraham, instead of a vampire. He himself was amused in the man's company, felt cared for, protected.

It could have been far worse. And he knew, very well, that Abraham had planned for it to be far worse, had planned to force Dracula's cooperation instead of receiving Alucard's willing assistance.

And it was a source of worry. He would recover, given time.

Would he be able to make his escape before Abraham realized he was capable of leaving? Or would Abraham revert to the crueler, colder self that had hunted and trapped Dracula, then broken the vampire?

It was nothing that would happen soon, there was no chance that he could exist, even subsist, on his own. Simple vents in the ceiling frightened him. Yet...he would recover. And comfortable and content as he was now, this brief idyll would not last. Either Abraham would fail again, or he himself would recover too much, and this temporary, stable, comfortable plateau would vanish.

But, for tonight, he was content. Well-fed, comfortable, at the end of an evening that had been surprisingly enjoyable, and able to sleep in his coffin.

There was no lid, and it would be a long time, if ever, before he would be able to cover himself again. But the pillows were soft, dense, luxurious, and his own face was kept well supported, able to see easily over the sides of the coffin.

Less and less frightened and wary of his home, his bed, his refuge and rest, Alucard closed tired red eyes and waited for the sun to rise. 


	97. Chapter 97

*I hadn't intended to write tonight, but a constant reviewer asked me to. So, brain block or no, I worked out a chapter. Hope this helps cheer you up. I had to try and come up with something fun, just for my unhappy reviewer!*

Ch 97

"Where is he?" Alucard's red eyes had been glancing about the room, and Abraham had wondered, but simply chalked it up to remaining nervousness from the new vents. The vampire was far more settled after the previous night's outing, but he hadn't expected the beast to settle down completely, and had ignored the twitchiness. But...he was looking for someone?

"Where is who?" Viktor, most likely, but perhaps Alucard was scenting or detecting something or someone else? Abraham had learned to take very little for granted when the vampire asked or said something unexpected!

"The Russian." The irritation and dislike in the beast's voice were not remotely veiled. Abraham couldn't blame he. He didn't like the man either; he'd consistently been cold to the point of rudeness, and not all of this could be excused by either advanced years or his foreign nature. Michael was elderly and still pleasant in nature, and enough traveling had taught Abraham that rude was rude where ever a person might be.

And Alucard wouldn't even name the man. Abraham had to try not to smile. But the vampire would be happy at this news, at least.

"He's traveled to London. He said he needed some sort of special vellum for his work." Alucard's shoulders unhunched at this; Abraham hadn't even realized the vampire had hunched them slightly! "He won't be back until tomorrow at the earliest. From what he's said, I expect this errand may take a few days."

"Good." The vampire looked at him solemnly, and to Abraham's surprise, the spontaneous discussion continued. Alucard almost never spoke unless spoken to, and an answer was expected. This was potentially the longest conversation the beast had ever initiated, and Abraham was intrigued. "I do not like him." The vampire paced a bit. "I don't like how he watches me. Like a possession, a pet, a prize." The beast sighed, and looked directly at Abraham. "I do not understand your behavior, or that of Father Jacobs. HIS behavior, though, I understand very well. It is the behavior I had expected to observe, before."

Before when? Abraham wondered, but Alucard went on, voice tight and somewhat angry.

"He is not a good man, not a pleasant man, but a greedy and cruel and controlling man." Nervousness, now, though the vampire's face seemed impassive, Alucard was biting slightly at his bottom lip. And waiting, expectantly, watching Abraham.

For what?

Oh...of course. "I'll take that information under advisement, Alucard. If you suspect he will do something that goes against my own wishes or that will cause problems for you, then tell me. And I will watch him closely myself. Is there any specific reason you consider him a threat?"

For the vampire most definitely, in voice, expression, and posture, demonstrated that he considered Viktor to be a threat.

"He delights in my fear." The vampire moved a bit closer, face blank, eyes staring off into space, clearly remembering something unpleasant. Abraham was once again struck by how the vampire clearly considered him to be a source of protection and safety.

"I see." And he did. Viktor didn't have a compassionate bone in his body. Even the continued kindness, or at least respect and caution, of the others had left the vampire nervous. After Sean's attack and the miserable experience of Alucard during his brief escape, the nervousness was quite understandable.

But he wasn't nervous around Viktor, really. Abraham thought back to their limited interactions.

No, it wasn't nerves. Alucard just didn't like the man. Well, Viktor was gone tonight and hopefully the next, so Alucard would get a brief respite from his presence. And he knew just how to distract the beast as well.

"We have two new men coming within a couple days." Alucard's eyes grew larger and his head whipped about as he stared at Abraham.

"Two more?" Clearly worried about this, but Abraham's next bit of news might relax the beast a bit more.

"Well, five, really. They're coming from America. And their wives are with them."

A blink. "But...that would be four. Do Americans take multiple wives?"

Abraham grinned. He'd stated it that way on purpose, knowing that it would puzzle and interest the beast.

"No, but one of them is also bringing his sister. She's apparently quite well-versed in the occult, and was my primary contact. Upon receiving my telegram and description, she contacted her brother and brother-in-law, both proper researchers in their own right, and inveigled them into accompanying her. With the new steamers, they're expecting to arrive in four days. They wired us from their ship, and are well on their way and approaching London."

The thought of two new American men clearly flustered the vampire a bit...but three females had definitely piqued the beast's attention! And with supervision by him and a cross on their necks, they'd be safe. They'd also be having a long talk with Mina about defending themselves and dealing with Alucard.

By the end of the night, Abraham was beginning to regret telling Alucard about their future guests. He'd distracted the beast, yes, and it remained distracted the rest of the night.

About the fourth time he had to repeat his directions to the daydreaming beast, he definitely regretted it! 


	98. Chapter 98

Ch 98

Where to start, where to start?

Had he been in Russia, it wouldn't have been a problem. Even in the poorest villages, all the way to the largest cities, there were the little midwives and witches who'd read a palm or cast a curse for a bit of change. Mostly charlatans, but occasionally one would have a bit of power. And that one would know someone more powerful, and then another. And by the end of the day, he'd have his procurers and suppliers identified and have placed his orders.

Here, it was different. Yes, he spoke fluent English, had hired an excellent tutor for it and worked to learn it and learn it well. The Romanov's were a cosmopolitan bunch, and with their various visitors from the West, his aptitude for other languages had come in quite handy. But he spoke fluent English. These peasants about him clearly did NOT.

He'd thought that the first cab driver had simply been an immigrant, and his own bad luck to pick the man when he'd had to stumble through the thick accent to determine that the cab driver was telling him the price. The man could understand HIM just fine, but he was annoyed and confused at the garble the man spit out at him, entirely unintelligible.

And the crowd around him, milling and shouting and talking, was just as bad. It was a veritable Tower of Babel, all of it supposedly in English but most of it entirely incomprehensible. And the poorer the person appeared, in threadbare clothes and worn-out shoes, the more the English language became a bestial squawking!

Infuriating. There were far too many of these idiots about, impeding his progress, making communication difficult. He felt a sudden and deep kindred with the old rulers who'd made a game of running down peasants on their chargers, who'd decorated their kingdoms with impaled bodies or bathed in the blood of the useless fools. Face set in a scowl, he continued to search for the type of person or shop that he needed.

It was an enormous city. There had to be dozens of such places. And he need only find ONE. Still, as he pulled a poisoned pin from the hand of yet another would-be thief, it WAS an enormous city. And he didn't quite know where to begin. Leaving the swaying pickpocket to collapse and likely die behind him, he continued onwards. He'd asked for a bookstore, and this was where the cabby had taken him, to a street of bookstores.

And an open-air market with a few cages of birds, lower-class shops crammed about the edges, and the mass, frantic bargain-hunting of the poor!

x x x x

He was exhausted. He'd walked the edge of the neighborhood, past each store, feeling continually and carefully for signs of a practicioner, to find none. The mass of reeking humanity that swarmed the street helped occlude traces, but not so entirely! There was none here, not at all.

Reaching the end of the avenue, he leaned against a building, resting for a bit. An old man, feeble, he seemed fair game for yet another wastrel. This one was no petty thief but a mere drunken bully. Viktor was far too tired and irritated to deal with the bastard. A quick glance showed that no one was watching the well-dressed bully, and a bit of shifting put another of the tiny stilettos in his hand. They were cheap, but he'd used up quite a few of them today, and not gotten them all back.

Getting a whiff of the reek of the man's breath as the sot shouted out some sort of inebriated insult, Viktor frowned and took a moment to apply a touch of poison to this blade. He'd kept the little vial safely hidden in his voluminous sleeve, and it was a matter of moments and a single hand to pull the cork from the vial and dip the tip into the soaked cotton inside. A step, a stumble, a faltering, and he fell briefly against his erstwhile attacker.

The blade snicked through the fabric, penetrating the arm a tiny bit, and Viktor regained his footing as the insulted braggart roared at him. In the most conciliatory, frightened tone possible, he gave explicit directions in his own tongue of anatomically interesting things the bastard could do with his body parts and those of a few dead prostitutes. Unable to understand him, the man clearly decided Viktor couldn't understand HIM, and moved on to more suitable prey.

It didn't take long for the poison to take effect on the man, who shoved him down and staggered off, having gone from drunk enough to be belligerent to so drunk that he felt miserable. Or so he thought. Viktor wondered idly if he'd live or die. He never had gotten a chance to test out just how effective the poisons were, how many survived, if going through fabric removed too many from the blade, and more. It was a cheap poison, not overly effective if fast, and he'd added a bit of excrement to help ensure that the wounds would go septic.

If he had that vampire, he'd be able to take and test as many spells, poisons, curses, and devices as he wished. Capturing and restraining test subjects would be simple, and disposing of the bodies vastly easier. Abraham had no idea how useful the monster could be; he had it sweeping floors.

Sweeping floors! With a snort at the pure foolishness of the man, Viktor located a cab and returned to his rented rooms. A good supper, a solid night of rest, and he'd begin his search again in the morning. 


	99. Chapter 99

With the site currently not functioning fully, the only way I can see if anyone is reading these is by a review. Just a quick "Liked this" or "You misspelled Viktor" is appreciated. I definitely write more when I know I have an audience! And I'd planned to wrap this story up by about Ch 100, but with this much interest, I'm instead adding more characters (the Americans) and filling out the Viktor character far beyond what I'd intended. Enjoy!

Ch 99

It was late afternoon before he found what he wanted. A bookstore, yes, but with that odd, lingering smell that hinted at magic and herbs and things best not named. The clerk was useless, but did tell him that the small selection of books in the back was available for viewing only when the store owner was present. A casual question told Viktor that the boy knew nothing at all of the occult, for when asked where the owner purchased his own books and supplies, an innocent question on the face of it, he got only confusion.

But the owner did arrive after a brief wait, and one glance at Viktor and the man was showing him to the back room. There was little there, a few books that really could have been out on the shelves in front, but the man seemed so proud of his own meager abilities that he'd squirreled away any book with the slightest occult reference. Viktor was almost surprised to not see a Bible tucked away back there. With its stories of plagues, sacrifices, and the transmutation of water to wine, this fool would likely consider it a book on the Arts and hide it away!

Well, the rest of the collection was as motley as he'd expected. Nothing really of interest, though he'd pick up a little treatise on the monsters of Britain. Fredrick would be a far better source of information than this rotten little book, but perhaps the scholar would appreciate it as a gift, if only for the amusement factor of its inaccuracies. Buying or building favor with the "researchers" that fool Van Helsing had assembled could only be a good thing.

But his apparent interest in the book and his knowledge, and the power that the man could sense, did let him pull the owner into a conversation. And before too very long, he had the name of another person, a practicioner that supplied inks, leathers, vellum, and more for the books of practicioners. Viktor was well aware that he lacked those basic skills. He'd had the wealth and connections to buy what he needed from those who could prepare them, and no more intended to make his own supplies than to cook his own meals or sew his own clothes. When powerful and wishing to gain power, it was pure foolishness to spend years learning to brew an ink or to correctly harvest a hide. He'd focused on power, and used wealth to take shortcuts unavailable to the peasants and minor practicioners. But now he had two more names and addresses. One, another bookstore, though with fewer books and more supplies of an esoteric bent. The other, a man who created the books and inks that were needed for successful work.

It wasn't unusual for a spell to require a specific type of binding, or to work best on a certain source of vellum. Inks, too, needed to be able to hold a spell as well as a letter. While a pencil and common paper was quite sufficient for the basics, Viktor intended to use a relatively intricate spell on the vampire. And since he knew of no one that had successfully bespelled one before, he was taking no chances. The paper and ink would be of the highest caliber for the contract he intended.

His future access to power and abilities rode on the success of that contract. And if Alucard were able to break the contract, his life would be immediately forfeit. And so, with a pleasant smile and a bit more small talk, he bid the man goodbye, purchased his little booklet, and left. Walking out the door, the warm smile fell from his face, leaving it in the same cold and hard lines it habitually wore, no longer needing to present such a friendly and likeable persona. The cold look and better area kept would-be thieves, footpads, and cutpurses from him, and his little presents remained hidden in the linings of his sleeves.

A chill little smile pulled up the corner of his mouth. Things were finally going well. Tomorrow he'd be placing his order. If neither man had or could make what he wanted, it was very likely that they would know exactly who would. Less than 48 hours in the city, and he was well on the trail to his new supplies. And the world's first bound vampire.

x x x x x x

(I'd planned to go a bit further but it's late and I'm off to bed. Expect another chapter in a couple days. :) ) 


	100. Chapter 100

(Viktor's behavior with Alucard was supposed to be a three-chapter finale! This should have been the ending chapter. Instead, the story now stretches far into the future... Btw, thank you all for the reviews! According to the site, no one had looked at the new chapters at all! But the count is now working, yay, so I can keep track of which ones are "popular" and which ones need some work! And if you'd told me last fall that this story would be the LONGEST of the group, I'd have said you were nuts. It was SUPPOSED to be a darker story...and it turned rather fun instead!)

Ch 100

It was the look on Alucard's face that stopped him. The time was only an hour or two, at most, until dawn, and Abraham was exhausted. It was time for bed. They'd had a long night of work; the others had retired upstairs more than an hour previously. Alucard had become far more relaxed and animated with them gone, and Abraham had hurt a bit to realize just how much harm had been done to the beast, that he was so frightened of the others, even when they were in other rooms and Abraham was so nearby.

And the look on Alucard's face wasn't helping. It was best described as a combination of both dread and resignation. Nothing was going to happen, outside of him returning to his chamber and coffin, and Abraham going to his own warm and waiting bed. But for some reason, the vampire was not happy about this.

He'd never been happy at the end of their nights; Abraham had always thought it had to do with the vampire forcing himself back into his coffin. Clearly, the vampire wasn't going to ask for anything, and just as clearly, he was miserable.

And Abraham didn't know why. Was one of the others bothering him? Had someone come down during the day? A memory of Sean and the broken, terrified vampire...he'd ask. He might be tired, but he could spare a bit of sleep and find out from Alucard what was triggering that bleak expression.

"Alucard, what has you upset?" Gentle, but the vampire still startled a bit, clearly lost in its own dark thoughts.

A shrug, and he thought the vampire would not speak, but waited patiently. And with the patience, the vampire formed his thoughts, giving voice to his fears.

"Alone. When I'm alone, I think too much." A sad smile at Abraham. "And I'll have too much time to think."

Thinking was upsetting? Thinking...Ah. Alucard refused to reference directly what Sean had done, and even mentioning the beast's capture would cause him to crumble. He had been so improved until the attack, and now was as delicate and broken as ever. Being able to defend himself helped, tremendously, gave the beast some control and confidence, but at his core he was still shattered.

Time to see if his speculation was correct. The vampire had gone quiet again, the bleak look returned to his features. "Thoughts you can't escape from? Sad, upsetting, depressing, melancholy thoughts?" Red eyes met his, and the vampire nodded.

"Frightening." A shuddering breath. "And I cannot stop them until I sleep. There is no distraction." The vampire's voice trailed off again. He was obviously resigned to the situation, unpleasant as it was.

Well...damnation. It made sense. He'd be locked in that room with nothing to do, nothing at all. Before, Abraham wasn't certain how the creature had kept itself preoccupied. Was that the main reason it had covered the windows with those near-useless scraps? To stay occupied?

He'd have to find the beast something to do in the remaining nights. The room could use another cleaning, and since he knew why the monster panicked before, a hammer and nails could finish restoring the brown coffin. Alucard was nowhere near capable enough to read or write. Perhaps the beast could paint?

For tonight, he'd have to remain and keep the vampire company. With a touch of misery of his own, he ignored the thoughts of his own soft, warm, welcoming bed and fetched the cushioned armchair into the chamber.

Alucard was surprised, delighted, and a bit guilty when Abraham joined him. His Master was clearly very tired, very ready to sleep; his eyes watered and each sentence ended in a yawn. But even hearing the sound of his heartbeat, his breathing, felt safe. Losing himself in terrible memories and more terrible fears of what his future held...it wasn't possible with the sturdy human form of Abraham sprawled in the chair.

And the man tried, he truly did, while Alucard stretched out on the pillows and watched him. Tried...and failed. He'd fallen asleep in that chair. And he'd have one dreadful crick in his neck, too. It wasn't a chair for sleeping, and Abraham was far too large and tall a man to use it as such.

Alucard rocked a bit, debating. Master would be sore when he woke, but waking him was a frightening thought. Perhaps he should let Master sleep? No...he didn't want the man hurt, injured, and it was unavoidable. Waking Master, possibly angering him...no. Alucard couldn't do that.

But he could shift the man, trying to place pillows under his head, relieving the strain on his neck. But the pillows fell out, and Abraham nearly woke. Alucard paced a bit, thinking, wondering...then finally moved, having decided on a course of action. He was gentle, and Abraham slept. Asleep, the man wasn't touching him, though he touched the man. While it made him a bit nervous, Abraham slept. And once the man was comfortably arranged, it was easier to take his own bed, and drift off to the deep breaths and steady heartbeat of his Master.

x x x x

Abraham woke, disoriented, uncertain of where he was in the deep darkness. He stretched out, finding soft fabric about him, and sat up abruptly.

Sitting, he could see the rectangle of light, and after a few moments of sleepy blinks and sleep-muddled thoughts, realized where he was. The lighted rectangle was the door; there was a candle in the hallway, one of the thick, fat, slow-burning ones. And he himself was in Alucard's room, both doors opened wide.

And carefully covered with both blankets, a pillow under his head, resting comfortably...in the brown coffin.

Equal parts amused and confused, he fetched the candle to see Alucard sleeping peacefully in his own coffin. A matter of moments and he'd covered the vampire with the blankets, had lifted the head up a bit further with the pillow that had been under his own head earlier.

What an odd creature. It had to have moved him; he suspected he'd fallen asleep in the chair. Why had it not simply woken him up? And the doors, wide open, unlocked...

If he'd ever needed any more indication of just how unaggressive the vampire was, how uninterested it was in escaping, he'd have had it!

But he wasn't going to dwell on that. He was very tired and suspected he hadn't been in the coffin all that long. And while it hadn't been uncomfortable, quite, it wasn't a true bed. And he wanted his! 


	101. Chapter 101

Ch 101

There was a single basement room left to be used, as well as a single small closet. And there were more people on the way, too; at least three more researchers. With the current research and paraphernalia spread among three rooms, it wasn't too difficult or cramped. But Abraham and Alucard claimed a room to themselves most nights, as the vampire was far too prone to hiss and snap and hide when anyone else was in with them.

Fathers Jacobs and Michael were learning the usage of equipment, Daniel and Fredrick were busy as well. On occasion, Seward would join them. Viktor was not present at the moment, but he added the last little bit of crowding to the rooms. It was workable with the eight of them, but there was no spare room.

And three more were coming?

And so the last room was being cleaned and prepared. Father Jacobs, in recognition of his lack of ability as a researcher, went to it with a will. Alucard did most of it, his unflagging strength and energy extremely useful. Abraham claimed it also relaxed him, having the empty room instead of the congested and cluttered one, with no one there but Abraham and Father Jacobs and often not even them.

Fredrick supposed it might well relax the vampire. But it was still a jumpy bastard.

He left the bucket, still rocking back and forth on the floor where it had been dropped, and backed out the door quickly.

He could still see the flaming red eyes and sharp fangs.

It was going to be a very long time before he volunteered to bring the vampire a few fresh buckets of warm water. And that next time, he'd remember two very basic facts.

Do not get between the vampire and the doorway when said vampire was startled.  
>And make plenty of noise and let Alucard know he was there before entering.<p>

Bringing dry pants would probably be a good idea, too. These weren't damp, but it had been a near thing.

*on a side note, I'm considering publishing these on Kindle instead of fanfiction. Which, I can only do if I remove it from here and don't take it on into the Hellsing anime frame. I'm not likely to do it with this story, because it has too many readers that love it and lack a Kindle. But some quick feedback; if I did a story on Kindle, selling it by the chapter every time I got 5,000 or so words together (these chapters are about 1000 words on average), would anyone be interested? I'd probably ask a dollar or less a "chapter". And could I do something other than Hellsing? I'm thinking a basic Dracula story instead, influenced but not identical to what I've got up here. What do y'all think? Worth doing? A quick review or a message letting me know will help me decide. Frankly, if there's cash involved, I'd write a LOT MORE! :D 


	102. Chapter 102

Ch 102

It was taking far longer than Viktor expected, but he really couldn't complain. He was making valuable contacts, and he'd also added a handful of scrolls, spells, even a thick book bound in leather to his resources. The original spell he'd planned to use to bind the vampire could be improved on, substantially, and he was willing to wait to bind the creature while he learned the intricacies of these additional facets to the spell.

He did have the vellum he needed ordered, and sources were being identified. The leather needed to be harvested, then specially prepared. It would take a minimum of four weeks, from moon dark to moon dark, and it would be very expensive. He couldn't quibble over the price, not with the amount of vellum he was promised, the difficulty and danger in obtaining it safely in this land (so different from Russia! No one cared if a peasant or two went missing in his homeland! Here, they'd report the murder to the police, and the police would actually act on it!), the effort in tanning, stretching, and bespelling it. That vellum had to last a very long time; when it crumbled, the spell would be broken.

And Alucard would be furious. Assuming, of course, that the beast hadn't been broken and cowed long before then. Viktor wasn't overly worried; he'd have complete control and could simply lock it away in its coffin when not using it. As long as it could bleed, it was worth keeping. Having it as a source of muscle and labor was his intention, yes, but he'd settle for a mere constant source of blood if need be.

But reading about the nosferatu and other earthly demons, such as succubi, had given him some definite ideas. He'd known to bind the beast with blood, that was simple enough, as it was a creature of blood; blood gave it power, healing, animated the cold corpse. A contract written in blood would provide a very strong leash, even if the contract was written in plain script on simple paper. But leashes could be snapped. He intended to craft a contract that would bind the vampire with a chain it could never break.

And he'd have to have its willing cooperation to do this, but he didn't think that would be too much trouble. Abraham was a fool and the vampire was weak and panicky.

Abraham didn't know how to use that vampire properly. He did. Its tissues were so very valuable...and they regenerated. He might be able to sell entire body parts, and a dreamy smile passed his lips at the thought of how much money, how many favors, how much power something as simple as a lobe of vampiric liver might bring! Abraham had no idea. And, what was that delightful phrase? Ah, yes, a fool and his money were soon parted. An American phrase he'd grown fond of, indeed. Abraham was a fool, and this fount of money and power deserved a more intelligent, capable owner.

Himself.

And so he bent himself back to his new books, reading on ways to bind with fluids other than mere blood; it was a standby, a classic, a proven means to use the essence of a creature to force its obedience. But there were fluids other than blood that a vampire could create. And adding his own would bind the vampire irrevocably to himself; no one would be able to influence the beast away, to steal the contract and control his vampire.

He'd claim it, break it to his own will, which he looked forward to immensely, and then begin accumulating wealth from it. The man creating his vellum had promised it to him gratis if he provided the man with vampiric blood, and he intended to do so. But for now...he returned to his reading.

x x x x x

The next morning, he was at Van Helsing's home, explaining to Abraham that he needed the blood to successfully create the vellum necessary to bind the beast. Abraham was skeptical, but a trusting fool. A pint of blood (such odd English terms!) was given to him, harvested the night before, and that had been intended for use that afternoon. He was also given a small vial of vampire saliva, though it seemed useless to Abraham, having lost its power. Nail clippings and a bit of hair were wrapped up in the parcel with the little glass vial of saliva, the leather folded and tied shut. He smiled graciously and gratefully at Abraham, telling him how much easier this would make it for him to obtain the necessary materials, apologizing that he'd have to be in London the next few nights making sure the vellums and leathers were curing properly.

His supplier was very pleased with the materials he presented, very pleased indeed. The vellum would definitely be gratis, with the understanding that the supplier would have an easier access to the vampire than other magic workers. A boon for them both, as Viktor would have a steady stream of materials to work with and no need to find a supplier for anything from a bone pen to any ingredients necessary. This man had the contacts to find him whatever was needed. And his supplier could count on him to make sure that a vial of blood or a bit of tissue would always be available for purchase.

Viktor was very pleased with the report from the procurer. The victim had been selected, harvested safely under the dark of the new moon, the body dumped into the river. Virginal, female, from a very deeply religious family, as pure as possible without harvest a nun. And very large, too; both tall and stout. There was ample leather from that round body to make several pieces of vellum, and the contract only called for two.

Viktor was most pleased with the information that he'd be receiving all the vellum from that body, all of it prepared to bind the vampire and to use for spells to manipulate the beast, and at only a pittance of extra cost. It would barely cover the increase in materials needed, and he was more than willing.

Both he and his supplier were anxious for his success. It would be a long four weeks of waiting, but when it was over...he'd have his own vampire. Weak, broken, but a vampire nonetheless.

He slept, dreaming of riches and blood. 


	103. Chapter 103

Ch 103

"I hope your journey here was not too arduous." Abraham was smiling with delight at the new arrivals. The Robinsons had arrived, and he was very pleased to have the last of his arrivals, arrive!

Anne's face smiled back at him. She was unfashionably tanned, a legacy of her long work among the natives of the Americas. There was no finer source of information on their legends, beliefs, rituals, and supernatural entities. Some were similar to the European monsters he was familiar with, some were very strange, indeed. Her exploratory and inquisitive, masculinely confident mind and her complete unwillingness to play the role of a good little housewife had made finding a husband among those of her class difficult, but had made her a surprising resource. A few of the tribes she'd visited had their own spells and wards to protect their homes and cities, others could summon and speak to a variety of creatures. She was strong-minded, bitingly acerbic, and very sharp.

He wondered what Alucard would make of her! She was much like Mina and Lucy, possessing in great abudance the fire that they each had a spark of.

Her two brothers would be nearly as useful, and he greeted Robert and Luke with wide smiles as well. Robert was a doctor, Luke a pharmacist. Their practical skills would come in quite useful.

As for their wives, they weren't likely to be of much use working with Alucard, being entirely untrained. But...both of them had run their own households in America, moved those households and begun new ones out on the frontier. They didn't understand British households, no...but he longed to set them loose on his own home! With a "bachelor" in charge of the house, he had no doubt and no illusions that his own maids, cook, butler, and others had been slacking in their duties. The dust in the office was kept down to a minimum, but the handful of other public rooms all bore a thin coating and the effects of a haphazard dusting when it did occur!

He had no objection to housing them even if they proved as useful as a clump of dirt, and greeted Elizabeth and Hannah with smiles as well. At the very least, they might well keep Alucard occupied, in and of itself a blessing.

Everyone unloaded and gathered, introductions completed, he led them to the house. "My other guests are here, and once you've unpacked, we'll be meeting in my office to bring you up to speed on what we have learned. Those weeks you spent in travel have been full of surprises, and I'm afraid there's a great deal to catch you up on!"

Anne looked briefly concerned. "Oh, dear doctor, do not tell me that you have lost the vampire again?" A sparkle in her eye made it clear that she meant it in jest and a reference to the vampire's escape and meeting of Father Jacobs. His unexpected pause in replying took the humorous sparkle out of her eye, and he was quick to reassure her.

"Yes, but he's been recovered." His mood had become a bit grim, thinking of that long week and the guilt and misery it had encompassed. He shook it off to continue, smiling reassuringly at the lady. "But, it being daylight, he's sound asleep. It will be evening before he's awake and about, and then he'll likely join us."

The others chimed in with questions about the beast, but Abraham refused to answer, taking the annoyance out of his refusal with a pleasant explanation. "I'd like to tell you everything, but we'd be out here until evening and have nothing else done! Please, do follow the servants, we'll have you unpacked and set up as soon as possible, and be in the library shortly. I'll gather the others as well so that you have a chance to make their acquaintances, and they can provide information as well."

x x x x x

Fitting an additional five people into the home had been difficult. It was simply not made to have so very many guests and servants! A large English country home, yes, but each bedroom had already been taken. Alucard had been forced to request that Fredrick share a room with Danny, and when Father Jacobs visited, he'd be staying with Father Michael. Viktor had his own room, for he was an unpleasant man that Abraham had no intention of foisting on anyone. This left just enough space for both couples to have their own separate room, and a room for Anne. If need be, one of the rooms for entertaining could be converted to a bedroom, though the furnishings would be a bit odd. Anne herself was in what had clearly been a nursery with the prior owner!

However, each room had a proper bed and proper wardrobe plus the necessary amenities for his guests.

His complement of researchers was now present, and the downstairs room had been cleaned just in time, the basics of benches and chests and glassware and lights stocked. It would be a very busy time for them, and he sincerely hoped that Alucard would continue to be as amenable and cooperative as he had been. If the vampire recovered, became Dracula again, it would be a terrifying and evil beast. He needed to find out what could control the vampire, restrain it, confine it, if...no...when. When it returned to what it had been.

He suspected they'd have years, at the slow rate the vampire's mind was returning. But they wouldn't dawdle, and there was so very, very much to learn!

What sort of information and secrets did the vampire's mind hold? What could he tell them about other creatures, once Alucard had regained his memories and eloquence? What would they find when they combined the magic and spells of the Americans with the Eastern work of Viktor and their own European knowledge?

Smiling to himself and humming with anticipation, he went to gather the others.

x x x x x x

Kindle update; it looks like I'll be putting some stories on there, but not any time soon. This one will stay here for now. If I do take it off and put it on Kindle (I need to read the site guidelines to see if I can do that), it won't be a fanfic any longer and the Hellsing references will be stripped. I will announce in plenty of time for people to save their own copies *IF* I do move it. That's a huge IF, it'll probably stay right here. As one of the other readers was kind enough to point out, you can download the software to read Kindle books FOR FREE on your computer. Not bad! Read the Reviews for more details. Thanks everyone for the reviews so far. I've even had the occasional new review tossed on the older stories, which just tickles me :D

And yes, Viktor is a total bastard. He has more chapters coming. ;) 


	104. Chapter 104

(I've been too busy to post lately but thought I'd at least get this little drabble out! I felt bad about the reviews and support and NOT putting something new out there, so here it is, a little bit, at least. And if you haven't looked yet, there are several others stories out there to read as well in a slightly different timeline).

Ch 104

They were here.

He woke already nervous. He was confined, alone, and there were yet more people in his home. He couldn't leave if threatened, and if he angered Abraham, well, he'd already experienced the man's wrath and willingness to kill him on more than one occasion.

His eyes opened, and his first thought was the recognition that five new strangers had come into his home.

His second thought was that three of them were female.

Females.

It had been far too long since he'd enjoyed the company of a woman, and a wicked grin spread across his face. It faltered and fell, though, as he remembered the woman with the whip. She had struck him...then brought others back to hunt him. And Mina, Mina had fought him, too. He found himself thinking quietly and worrying about all that could go wrong.

Worst of all, his memories were still...well...spotty. There were great gaps, entire chunks of his history gone, others confused and fuzzy. Recent events were clearer, he remembered the hunt, his capture, the events afterwards, far too well. But before then? He remembered some of it, suspected he still knew most of the arcane knowledge he'd accumulated.

But he had not the faintest idea, any more, of how to seduce a woman. He remembered doing it...but the logic and purpose behind his actions escaped him. The worry turned to frustration, annoyance at all he'd lost. If he could not recover better than this, he'd be stuck as a mere lapdog and blood donor for an interminable amount of time.

But then again, he was sitting upright in his coffin, and he'd entered the coffin under his own power. No lid, no, but...it was no longer so terrifying. Not welcoming at all, still threatening...but comfortable. Still, sitting there was unnerving, and he rose to pace the room restlessly, wondering where Master was. Probably dealing with the new guests, Master had warned him that he might be late.

And so Alucard began to pace, to wonder at the visitors. Quincy had been American, but he'd met no others. What were they like? Anxiety and worry and curiosity and the beginnings of temptation and lust stirred in him as he paced the minutes away.

x x x x x

"So that's what we're dealing with." Abraham's speech finished, he leaned back in his chairs, bright blue eyes watching the faces of his new guests. Everyone had gathered, even the Harkers, Seward, and Lord Godalming, providing information and insight into the events. The trauma of finding Sean's body, ripped apart and strewn about the floor of the room, had everyone silent in shock or grief or both. The explanation...Abraham hadn't been happy about speaking indelicately to such ladies, but Mina had stepped in, saving him the effort.

"Sean's response is normal and you'll each find yourselves thinking of the vampire carnally." She was blunt and forthright, and Abraham watched Father Micheal's eyebrows nearly disappear into the remains of his hair. "And if he realizes that your thoughts have turned in that direction, he'll threaten you. This is not just a threat, it's a clear warning." Her gaze bore into each of them briefly, then she continued. "If you begin to act on those thoughts, he'll kill you, at least the men. As for the women," she shrugged briefly. "Well, let's just say that your marriage vows and love will help but it will be difficult if you spend several hours with him. I keep my time around him brief, as everyone else does!" She smiled at them, helping take some of the fear out of this warning.

Father Michael spoke then, supporting her. "I am an old man, and even I find my thoughts wandering, knowing exactly what he is and what he would do to me. For a young woman, it would be more difficult. Do keep your husbands close."

"I know he has no intention of tempting any men." Father Jacobs' voice rumbled out, drawing eyes to him. "Much the opposite. But while the Church doesn't teach much of vampires and ghosts and such, it does make it clear that they are given to base and carnal desires. He is temptation itself, and you'll need some protection from him." He rose to walk to the three women, passing each a small silver cross necklace and two silver bracelets. "The silver is a very pure alloy, touching it will be quite painful to him. The cross will help ward him away as well. Now, as long as you don't find yourselves alone with him for an extended period of time, all should be well."

Abraham took the group's attention back as soon as the last of the ladies had received their silver jewelry. "I think we've summarized the basics fairly clearly. He's insane, skittish, and very dependent on me. Don't do anything that will make him consider you a possible threat, don't corner him. If you find your body's natural response discomfiting, leave the room. And under no condition should anyone but myself or Father Jacobs be alone with him." He rose, then. "I'm going to go collect him and bring him here for his dinner. He may talk to you, he may simply sit by me or by the window." He took a final glance at them, well satisfied with what he saw.

All five of the newcomers looked a bit worried, but not at all argumentative. Anne had already turned to ply Father Jacobs with questions, the other two ladies fingered their new jewelry and were speaking in hushed voices and with very serious expressions. Both the men had struck up a conversation with Dr. Seward, clearly more interested in the physical appearance, abilities, and differences of a vampire.

They were as prepared as he could make them after an afternoon of the vampire's history, actions, and behaviors. They'd meet Alucard, then see the workrooms and help with the evening's research. It had gone well, each of them with intelligent, insightful questions and little scorn or skepticism.

He hoped Alucard was as easy to work with! One way to find out...

And he scooped up the lantern, turned the wick up, and went down to collect his monster. 


	105. Chapter 105

(Time for Alucard to recover a bit more and go to some extra lengths to impress the ladies!)

Ch 105

He opened the door to see two red eyes watching him; as the door swung open, the outline of the vampire and the worried expression became visible. Alucard was halfway between his coffin and the wall, and appeared to have been pacing about. But he'd stopped now, and that worried look was focused on Abraham.

"Good evening. Here's a snack for you before we go upstairs." Abraham held out the bottle, and the silent vampire came to take it from him. Silent...not a good sign. The quieter the vampire became, the more upset and unbalanced it was. Well, he had time to settle Alucard down before going upstairs. He dipped out of the room briefly to bring in the bucket of steaming water, soap, rags, comb, and a few little brushes. Alucard paused mid-swallow to give them a confused glance.

"I thought you might want to make yourself a bit more presentable. It's dusty and dirty down here, and you're getting smudged. If you'll have me your jacket, I'll brush it off." Abraham expected the vampire to be a bit reluctant to shed its clothes, but agreeable. What he didn't expect was what happened next.

"Master?" At his inquisitive response to the question, Alucard was prodded to continue. "Is...Viktor. Is he still gone? Staying gone?"

Odd, but the vampire really didn't like the man. And he could reassure it on this count. "Yes, Alucard. He telegrammed to say that he would not be returning for at least another two days." A brief and relieved grin flashed across Alucard's face at that, and the remaining blood quickly emptied from the bottle.

x x x x x

Finishing the last drops, Alucard pondered a bit. Abraham already knew he'd been able to do this before. There was no Viktor around to detect it. And...there were females. He also looked raggedy, run-down, not himself at all...vulnerable.

Vulnerable would not do with those new men. Raggedy would not do around the ladies.

Could he do this? Perhaps...perhaps. One way to find out. He'd thought about this, planned it out, visualized each detail. He though he could. And he'd already managed a wolf form. This was more delicate...but...if he erred, he could simply wear the clothes Abraham had brought him. Decided, he briefly stooped to rest the bottle on the floor, then fell apart into mist.

He heard Abraham gasp, but was far too busy concentrating on what he was doing to pay any attention. Pants, yes. Long, black, featureless, elegant and high-quality but not revealing. A button, ties, the seams along the sides, waistband, yes. Shirt, tucked in. Soft material, the weave visible in his mind. Glowingly white? No, too visible. He'd decided on deep gray, an odd color for a shirt, but not so visible. The collar, lying on his shoulders, the drape of the sleeves, cuffs, ties, the seams on the sides, stitching on the collar, yes. An ascot, a tie, for there were the ladies. The deep black of his pants recreated in shimmering soft silk, wrapped under the collar and about the neck, the shape of the knot, the delicate stitches at the ends preventing it from raveling. Yes. Done. And coat.

Coat was very important. Very concealing. A long coat, very long. Black, like the pants, vented in the back, split on the sides for him to move. Buttons on the front, low enough to show the fine fabric of his ascot, thick broad shoulders to increase his bulk, long sleeves, all the way to his wrist and a bit extra. The collar, again...stiff, tall, concealing his face from the sides, in dark gray. Pockets, yes. Buttons on the back. Seams, seams...and the material rippled as the seams appeared.

Gloves, he'd wanted gloves. White, though white was visible, for all gloves should be white. Harder, these, picturing each stitch and seam, letting them flex. But a few thoughts, and the white kid-skin gloves covered his hands.

Fully visible, dressed, he swayed briefly with dizziness. It had required far more concentration than anything he'd done yet, far more detail, and he was, for now, mentally exhausted. Sitting on the floor would leave him dirty, he'd formed clean clothes. No, not dirty now. A short stagger, and he was seated on the edge of his coffin, blinking vaguely at the wall.

He heard Master speaking, but couldn't focus, not yet. A moment more to recover. Yes. Eyes closed against the dizziness.

x x x x x

Abraham had almost grabbed for his gun when he saw Alucard melt away. Almost. But that instinctive response was halted as soon as it began, and instead he forced himself to watch with curiousity. And realized that it was a good thing he hadn't tried to grab for his gun, because he'd deliberately stopped carrying it just for that very reason. His lack of armment had helped soothe the vampire in his presence. Although right now, it wasn't the vampire that needed soothing. What the devil was the beast doing?

Not escaping, but the gray and black ribbons swirled about, the mist spiraling up to form a man-shape. And it slowly took form, details emerging.

Alucard was forming his own clothes again. Abraham was delighted with the monster's recovery, worried that it was recovering and would soon become unmanageable, and mostly fascinated with the process.

The pants were first, stretching above the bare feet, solid blackness emerging from the swirling shadows. Details formed, shadows merged, and with a ripple, the seams appeared. A shirt, oddly dark, a bit old-fashioned, and...a tie? Vain beast. Abraham smiled a bit then, watching as the coat formed as well. No browns, all black and grays...gloves? The vampire had given himself gloves, the white a contrast with the somber colors of his other clothes.

To his concern, Alucard swayed, eyes blinking, then staggered over to sit on the coffin.

"Alucard? Alucard!" Abraham moved to his side, anxious; had Alucard exhausted himself, gone past his physical and mental limits? The dim red eyes closed and he darted forward, ready to catch the beast if it fell. But Alucard didn't, and after a few moments, the eyes opened, blinking about, then focusing on Abraham.

"Master?" Dulled and slurred, but there. Abraham sagged with relief. Alucard had done an amazing job, the detail of the weave and stitching was exceptional. One would never know the clothes were anything but what they seemed, which, he supposed, was exactly the point. However, the vampire had forgotten a few details. As the vampire blinked dully at him, Abraham moved to the clothes pile on the floor, extracting the slippers. He knelt in front of Alucard, ready to help him put the slippers on, to receive only a vague confused glance.

"Lift a foot up, Alucard." A pause, as the vampire mouthed the words, clearly trying to understand them. Then, with a shake of his head, Alucard "woke up" a bit, blinking rapidly, and obediently lifting his left foot. Abraham slipped the slipper on, "Now, right foot, Alucard." The right foot was presented with far more alacrity, the countenance and vision of the beast visibly sharpening and quickly.

He'd dazed himself with that stunt, Abraham realized, but was recovering. And yes, the vampire was much recovered. In a stronger voice, questioning, he said, "Hat?"

Instead of grabbing the hat, Abraham picked up the comb. "Your hair is clean, but a tangled mess. Give me a moment to comb it, then I'll give you the hat." The vampire grumbled, as expected, flinching away briefly as Abraham rapidly ran the brush through the unkempt black locks. It was only a few moments, with no severe tangles, and he was done. The proferred hat was snatched from his hands and placed on the vampire's head, and it was a fully recovered vampire whose red eyes glowed from the shadows under the brim.

With a smile, Abraham coaxed him up and out of the room. "I've got our guests waiting in the library, as usual. Your other bottles are there as well. I'll be sitting by them, you may go wherever in the room you choose."

Alucard nodded agreeably, interest and curiousity on his face as Abraham led his elegantly-clothed, poised monster from the dark basement into the brightly-lit room, filled with the humans that were so interested in learning about and from him. 


	106. Chapter 106

ch 106

Alucard stepped through the door behind Abraham, eyes turning to the grouping of people by the fireplace.

And froze, mid-step.

He'd expected five new people, ones he didn't know. A bit unnerving, but three of them were female, so...not as difficult as meeting five new men. He wasn't sure he'd have been able to do that.

There were women there, three new ones and Mina. Johnathan Harker. Arthur, and he felt his throat tighten, shoulders lift protectively...John. There were more, more people. He suspected he knew them, but his eyes remained on John, somewhat on Arthur.

It was too much. Too many new people, too many people, an entire mass of them crowded into that room. Too many that had been hostile; with his nerves rattled already, seeing John and Arthur together in that group...No. NO.

x x x x x x

Abraham saw the vampire pause out of the corner of his eye. He turned, expecting to see the vampire watching the group of them, perhaps inspecting. He'd taken the vampire into a group of people before, with no problems; in fact, when Alucard had first been brought upstairs and the group of hunters had been waiting, the vampire had ignored them!

But not tonight.

The vampire's shoulders were hunched slightly, the spare body radiating tension. He'd gone from elegant, poised, and with a nervous anticipation to a less well-defined emotion. Abraham couldn't see the vampire's face, hidden as it was in the clothing, but knowing his vampire he strongly suspected that the vampire was frightened. Alucard wasn't bolting out of the room, but he'd frozen just barely inside the doorway, warily watching the humans congregated across the room from him.

Abraham wasn't certain who had moved, or why, but Alucard was suddenly in the hallway, hissing threateningly back at the room.

The introductions would need to wait. Turning back to the group, he spoke quickly.

"It's a bit much for him. I'll be back with him later. Mina, Johnathan, Seward, Arthur, Father Michael," the blue eyes darted about, collecting them with his gaze, "...please go downstairs and work for now. I'll calm him down and make the introductions to a smaller group of people. Father Jacobs, if you would be so kind as to explain to our new guests," And he left he sentence hanging, moving out into the hallway after his vampire. Alucard had backed a few more steps from the door, and when he saw Abraham looking at him, the vampire shook his head from side to side in vehement refusal.

"Shhh...no. Calm down, we'll go outside for now, just the two of us." He hadn't intended to do this, but so far away from them, Alucard would settle much faster. The movement would also drain some of that nervous energy and tension, and give the others a chance to get downstairs and out of the way. He watched as the vampire processed that information, mind slowed as fear derailed his thoughts, and then nodded.

Still silent, but functioning. And willing to follow quietly after him, too.

x x x x

The door clicked shut behind them, and the vampire made the first noise of the evening other than a hiss...a long, shuddering sigh. The red gaze lifted, face now visible, and the vampire's gaze was best described as sheepish and a touch embarrassed. Not accusatory, no...though Abraham was now well aware that he hadn't told Alucard that everyone would be there!

It was the biggest group of people, by a substantial amount, that the vampire had encountered since being captured. And while Alucard tolerated the occasional presence of John and Arthur, he was never easy, never comfortable in their presence.

And Abraham had just sprung an unpleasant surprise on the beast. A room full of people, half of them strangers, two of them former foes and still very untrustworthy and dangerous in the vampire's eyes. Well, live and learn; he wouldn't surprise the beast like this again! And it could have been far worse, the vampire could have ended up going through a wall and racing across the lawn again!

For now, a reassuring smile at the vampire, and more of the tension leached from the creature. "Let's take a walk about the house for now." A nod, and the still-silent vampire fell into place beside him. Twenty minutes and two complete circuits of the house and gardens later, the tension had been replaced by a comfortable calm, and Abraham judged it time to take him back inside.

"Everyone but the newcomers and Father Jacobs has gone downstairs. Are you ready to meet the new arrivals? Or do you want to stay outside a bit longer?" He waited on the walkway to the side door, patiently letting the vampire compose his thoughts.

And, after a encouragingly short wait, Alucard responded. "Yes." More definite, now. "Yes. I can meet them now." A sigh, a slight shudder, and then he followed gracefully and quietly behind Abraham as they entered the house and returned to the office a second time.

"Well," he thought as they approached the office doorway, "they've certainly gotten their demonstration of him being neither human nor sane over with quickly!" Now the worry was not that they'd be frightened of the vampire, but that they'd be overconfident and not fear him enough! Then again, one good snarl and snap by Alucard when the husbands got too close, and that would be handled, too.

All in all, it could have been a better first introduction, but it could have been much worse. Philosophical about the event, he calmly led the beast back into the room. 


	107. Chapter 107

(I hadn't planned to write this tonight, but for my fan in the hospital, this chapter is for you. :) Get well soon!)

Ch 107

Anne wasn't certain what to expect from the creature when Abraham brought it back. Danny had assured her that its behavior wasn't unusual; it was a very flighty creature, prone to being startled. Hissing, growling, snarling, and snapping were also part of its repertoire. There was clearly more to the creature than this, and Danny spent a few minutes telling her how the vampire had healed his leg after a severe injury before leaving to join the others.

She'd seen a shaman turn into a wolf in the mountains of Virginia. A Plains Indian had changed into a buffalo, trampling and murdering much of a village before being taken down and returning to a man. She'd arrived long after this had occurred but the braves had delighted in showing her their wounds. An ancient, toothless squaw had once bespelled Anne into motionless silence, another tribe had hidden from her view while she wandered through their village, not seeing the long huts and people about her.

In short, she'd experience any number of unexplained supernatural events over the last two decades. But those had all been American creatures. This very European monster, with its taste for blood, ability to heal and ability to kill, its ability to shapeshift and control minds, it fascinated her. She didn't know what to expect from it, not really.

And when Alucard returned, following Abraham like a docile pet, her sharp eyes picked out details immediately. It moved gracefully, and completely silently. Those slippered feet (and why was it wearing slippers with that elegant suit?) were entirely silent, and it was as well-muffled as it had been described. She caught a faint flash of red eyes, but no more, and the bulk of its body remained behind Abraham.

A beast as powerful as this one, and it was reduced to hiding? To terror at a meeting a dozen or so humans in its own home?

It reeked of power. She had never been able to "see" the magic that others claimed to be so visible, the movements, the glow, they were invisible to her. But she could sense it, nonetheless, as a sharp, clear smell, the scent of the Great Plains after a thunderstorm, almost acrid, but so fresh. And the power of this one...

She closed her eyes, and could FEEL the power from the beast, smell it so strongly that it nearly overwhelmed her. Startled, her brown eyes flew open again...to see the vampire staring straight at her, red eyes bright and perplexed. It ignored all the others, entirely focused on her, and she could do nothing but stare back.

What WAS this thing?

x x x x x

Alucard had followed him back, cautious and quiet but willing. The vampire had paused outside the door, listening, and apparently reassured by the low volume that the crowd had indeed been reduced. He glided in behind Abraham, then stopped to stand at his back, clearly looking over the newcomers.

Abraham was startled to see the vampire suddenly stiffen. A glance over, and Alucard's eyes were wide, body frozen into stillness, and entirely fixed on Anne. Ms. Robinson's eyes were equally focused on the vampire, and they both looked entirely poleaxed, stunned senseless.

It was not good to have the vampire so focused on a woman. The only person he'd attacked when gone had been a woman. The people he'd killed, if it had been him, consisted of a female and her son. Before, as Dracula, he'd targeted Lucy and then Mina. Seeing those red eyes staring at Anne, even if they lacked any hint of predation and were full of shocked surprise, was unsettling and potentially unsafe. Time to break this up, and immediately.

"Alucard." The vampire ignored him. Not ignored, no, but oblivious. Abraham frowned, speaking louder, repeating a second time. No response. A third time, very loud, allowing the anger to show in his voice, and he broke through the spell between the two of them. Alucard startled, spinning to look at Abraham, fear in his eyes, once again crouching slightly.

Before the vampire could descend into panic, Abraham spoke softly. "Pay more attention, Alucard. It's time for you to eat your dinner now." No punishment, only a mild reprimand...and the vampire relaxed, focusing on the blood that would be forthcoming shortly.

He was so predictable. Abraham smiled slightly as he moved to the desk, withdrawing a full bottle for the vampire. The smile fell as he remembered why the vampire was so focused on his meals; Alucard had been far, far too starved and far too often to take a meal for granted. Still, he kept a pleasant expression, turning to hold the bottle out to his vampire. "Here you are. I'll be with them, you may join us or not. Simply stay in the room. I'll have another bottle for you later."

Alucard was still quiet, understandable with the strangers in the room, but he took the bottle calmly and moved to sit in his window again. Once the vampire had curled up on his cushion, Abraham returned to the group, settling into his own chair, waiting for questions.

It wasn't a question, but a clear statement. Anne looked at him, the shock still on her face, now matched with concern.

"Abraham...did you KNOW he's a sorcerer?" Abraham stared at her, now in shock himself.

He was dimly aware of the thud of the bottle hitting the floor by the window as Alucard startled and stared at her as well! 


	108. Chapter 108

Ch 108

(this had been a chapter that started off set in the lecture hall of some of my readers, who tended to read this...during lecture... I just edited that out!)

Alucard's eyes moved from Anne to Abraham, fear blazing from them.

Anne's brief and puzzled question had clearly startled the creature, no, he was beyond startled! Why?

The vampire was a sorcerer? Was Anne correct? He wanted to ask the vampire, but Alucard, already on edge when the evening began, was tense and coiled. Abraham wondered if he'd flee again, vanish through the window? So frightened...was he frightened that Abraham would think he was a sorcerer and he wasn't, or was he frightened that Abraham had learned that he was a sorcerer? If the former, it was a mark of how badly the trust the beast had for him had been damaged. If the latter, why was the vampire so frantic about concealing that newest talent?

What other powers did the vampire possess? He was curious, but deeply concerned; in the space of those few moments, Alucard had begun to pant, and the red eyes were darting from Abraham to the window, indecisive.

Damnation, he WAS going to bolt! Speaking quickly, Abraham soothed the beast, hoping Alucard wasn't too far gone in his fear to understand.

"I'm not angry, Alucard. Safe, you're safe." The vampire's eyes moved back to him, still the size of saucers, body still crouched, tense, ready to bolt. "I'm only curious, Alucard. Only that. You're safe. Safe." Voice calm, reassuring, pleasant, gentle...even if the vampire didn't understand the words, the tone would, he hoped, penetrate the sudden panicky wall of the vampire's emotion.

So sensitive, so prone to fear at the oddest things. He'd well and truly broken the beast. But the vampire blinked at him, tension easing, the tightness around the eyes relaxing, body losing that trembling tenseness.

Abraham felt his own body relax. He'd had a horrid mental image of chasing the vampire down yet again, of all the things that could go wrong, of losing the vampire. He had no intention of attacking the beast, but Alucard didn't know that, didn't trust him. Not anymore. Now, though, the vampire's panic was fading, though the fear was still evident.

He had to get to the bottom of this, but...not with so many new people in the room. He'd send them out, all but himself and Anne. Alone but for her, the vampire might relax enough to communicate. Right now, it was still panting, though only quiet little rasps were audible, the vampire's immediate fear of danger and panic fading to dread.

"I'm sorry, but...he's frightened. I did warn you that he was very sensitive, and he's already on edge from the new faces and the presence of so many people." Especially John and Arthur, he thought but carefully did not say. "If you would...please go to the basement laboratories, or to your own rooms for now. Anne, I'd like you alone to stay. I need to calm him down again and talk with him. Move slowly and quietly, gently, don't startle him, but please...I do apologize...but I need you to leave." Father Jacobs would show them the way, and the big man gave the vampire a gentle nod as he rose and left with the others.

x x x x

The strange men rose, frightening, frightening...no. They were leaving. Leaving. Left. Gone. Father Jacobs gone, too...but not angry, not worried. Not there to protect, not staying to keep him safe...was he already safe? A shuddering sigh, Master? Was he angry after all? What did he want? What would happen?

A thousand terrible thoughts ran through the vampire's mind. He'd hidden this from Master. The wards, would he be in trouble for the wards? Would...Viktor...no. What would he do?

How had she known? She wasn't talented, not quite...but...perhaps. He'd entered, watching them, inspecting the new people, and she'd...flared. Reacted. He'd looked closer, seeing tiny tendrils, the barest wisps, rising from her, floating through the room, drifting past, touching, inspecting each aura, so faint, so different from the thick ropes and flickering daggers of power that blossomed around others. If theirs were ropes and whips, cables and spears...hers was the merest gossamer, the slightest of spiderweb...and it filled the room. His own aura bulged and rippled about him, the tendrils of his own talent, unleashed with Viktor gone, no longer supressed, waving about him. Hers...hers were so different! So new!

He'd been fascinated. And as those strands touched him, her aura flared again, reacting. Enormous brown eyes fixed on him, and he stared back...what was she? Confused, curious, he'd nearly angered Abraham, not noticing his Master's demands. But Abraham was not angry, and he'd taken his meal, gone to sit, to relax, planning to watch them and listen, to perhaps do some gazing at the Moon...

And then his carefully concealed ability had been hauled out into the open, entirely unexpectedly.

He'd thought Abraham would shoot him, attempt to kill him again, deem him unable to be controlled, too dangerous. He'd feared a look of avarice in Master's eyes, that Master would see him as even more valuable. And instead...

Kindness. Baffled kindness.

Master was still seated, watching him...no anger. None. Calm. Concern, perhaps. No fear, either. Not that cold, blank look as he pointed the gun, pulled the trigger.

Only Master, looking like Master.

Safe. Yes.

And Anne, looking...guilty? Why guilty? He leaned back against the window again, resting his cheek against the cold, comforting glass, hat knocked sideways and hiding them from his view. He could see the window, the dark yard...and the thick dark felt lining of his hat.

He felt hidden, he couldn't see them, safer. Calmer. Not watched now, no one staring at his face, watching his emotions flicker across it, learning what he did not want them to know.

Cold, slick, chill, comforting, calming, dark, private. Yes. And Master was letting him be, not pressuring him, not asking, not pushing...yes.

He sat silently for a bit, letting the welter of emotions settle, pulling inside himself, calming, calming. Settled, settled, enough to think, enough to listen, enough to understand. Master and Anne were talking, the soft murmur of her voice and the deeper, soothing answer of his voice filling the background. Not intrusive, no. But he began to listen.

Master had thought he'd go through the window? He had been ready to do so, to flee, but it had not been needed. There had not been danger. Abraham...Master was simply recapping events of the past. His trip through the wall, his lunge through the window at Priest's home. He wished Priest was here, he had been...Abraham had sent him away with the others. Just as well, it was quiet now, calmer, fewer eyes on him. He settled down a bit more comfortably, listening, waiting until he was ready and able to interact again. For now, he had the cold, the dark, the chill glass, and privacy.

Master would want to speak to him soon, find out about his abilities. Yes, he was speaking to Anne of that. But not angry. Only curious. He calmed farther, tension slowly leaving his muscles, head sagging against the pane. He would speak to Master, would try to explain. Master understood. It was safe.

And so he slowly brought himself back to coherency, to speak to his Master about his abilities, and, perhaps, to find out something about Anne's ability, too!

x

Yes, it does reference your class. :) I'd been sick this last week and that came on top of computer troubles that prevented me from using the site (Java issue). I got it up and running again yesterday, and went into the chatroom tonight...to find a fellow chatter had been spreading the link about a few classes.

And so...you now have a place in the story! I hope you enjoyed. :) Feel free to review, any suggestions, reactions, comments, feedback of any kind is appreciated. Thanks! 


	109. Chapter 109

Ch 109

***Pretend to pay attention in class. ;) I put in a few reminders :D I hope you enjoy! ***

Abraham spoke quietly with Anne, occasionally glancing over at the vampire. Alucard wasn't shaking, had visibly relaxed, slumped against the window, but remained hidden. Part of him was annoyed that the vampire was yet so very damaged, part of him relieved that the vampire hadn't lunged through the window and out into the night!

Alucard tried, he knew that. And God knew the beast had suffered more than enough to justify its behavior! But it was still so damnably frustrating. Gentleness and patience worked with the beast, and he'd just have to continue with that. What was truly annoying was that he had a thousand new questions for the monster after Anne's disclosure! And couldn't ask any of them, not yet.

But this would change, and before too long, Anne's expression changed from involved and earnest to pure surprise, her focus now behind him. Alucard had apparently joined them. Sure enough, the top of the hat became visible from the corner of his eye! He let the vampire settle before acknowledging him, simply continuing to chat with Anne about her observations in the Americas and things Alucard had been observed doing.

Once Alucard had settled, he still didn't ask questions. Instead, he leaned over slightly, holding a bottle of blood down where the vampire would see it. The hat tilted up slightly, a gleam of red peeking from it, and he smiled down at the vampire. In that large coat and floppy hat, seated on the floor, the vampire looked like a child playing dress-up! But the white, gloved hand wrapped around the bottle with only the slightest pause, and Alucard quietly drank.

Anne looked slightly sickened by this, but equally intrigued. Abraham kept the smile off his face, explaining briefly. "Alucard generally eats three to five bottles each evening. I get a fresh supply daily from the local hospitals. When they have a surgery, I pay for them to keep the blood free from other fluids, collect the wasted blood, and send it to me. He occasionally gets a treat of fresh, warm blood as well."

"You let him bite you?" Anne's voice was skeptical, she clearly didn't think that was what occurred, but she wondered...and so he explained.

"No, but it's a matter of moments to make a small cut," and he pulled his own little knife from his pocket in explanation, "and sometimes, well, injuries happen. Alucard heals those little cuts up immediately afterwards. It's not pleasant, cutting oneself, but he makes his pleasure and appreciation known. There's no fear of infection or an injury going septic, not with his care."

"May I?" Anne gestured towards the little knife he'd been about to place in his pocket. Why did she want a closer look? It was merely a knife, after all! Still, she was his guest, and after a brief bit of puzzlement, he passed the folding knife to her.

Anne turned the knife over in her hands a time or two, then looked up at him, knife now resting in her lap. "Does he only eat from the neck?

"No, no...anywhere works. Father Jacobs cut his palm, Daniel sliced the back of his leg, and he's healed the occasional cut from broken glass or scratch, too. I usually opt for the pad of my thumb."

"Ah, convenient." Anne smiled at him, sharing the humor. "After all, having those teeth on your neck every time might make everyone a bit reluctant, you understand." Her dry humor brought a chuckle from him, and below him, Alucard reached out to place the bottle on the floor.

"May I?" His gaze returned to Anne, to see her with the knife open above her palm. The chivalrous and protective instinct rose in him to stop her and prevent her from injuring herself, but common sense stepped in before he made a fool of himself. Anne was no stranger to hardship or physical injury, she'd put herself in harm's way numerous times as she traveled the untamed lands of the States. Alucard wouldn't likely hurt her, the vampire didn't seem at all vengeful, and he himself was there.

And it would soothe the beast, tremendously.

"Are you certain?" At her nod, he hesitantly gave permission for her to treat his monster. And before he'd even finished nodding, she'd drawn the knife across her palm.

(If you're in class, pretend to pay attention to the professor again... ;) )

x x x x x

He'd been half-dozing, ennervated by the stress and then relief of the evening's events, when the scent hit his nostrils. Blood, fresh blood! Alucard's head jerked up right, and his eyes fixated on the red liquid pooling in Anne's hands.

She was hurt! The predator in him rose, seeing injured prey, but...Master! He looked up, and saw Abraham's eyes crinkle as the man smiled at him.

"She wants to give you a bit of a treat, Alucard. Be gentle." As if he'd be any other way! If you scared or injured prey, they'd avoid you; he had always been careful, especially if he thought there was a chance for a future encounter.

x x x x x x

Alucard moved swiftly across the floor, flashing to kneel in front of Anne. Abraham was used to the monster's speed, but Anne's brows lifted in surprise. The gloved hands gently wrapped about her wrist and supported her hand, and the head dipped down to drink. His hat had fallen off, lying halfway between Abraham and Anne, and Alucard seemed entirely oblivious to its lack. Or perhaps he'd lost it deliberately, for it would only have gotten in the way of his meal. Watching him in surprise at the vampire's actions, but with a pleased and smug expression, Anne's next action was very unexpected to Abraham...and from the sudden jerk, to Alucard as well.

She reached out her hand, running fingers through the vampire's hair. Her touch was clearly gentle, but Alucard jerked nevertheless. His hands remained wrapped about hers, not relinquishing his meal, but wide red eyes glanced up at her, worried.

"You don't want me to do that?" The slightest of shakes, limited by his connection to the wound, and Anne withdrew her hand from his head, settling it back in his lap. "Then I won't, and I apologize for startling you." With her hand in sight and only resting in her lap, the vampire quickly relaxed and resumed his interupted treat. Less than a minute later, he was licking it closed, a purely satisfied and smug look on his face.

Abraham watched, bemused. Interesting, that her touch had only startled him, not frightened him all out of proportion. Had Fredrick or Father Michael done that, they'd have pulled back a bloody stump! Now that the vampire was fed, two bottles AND fresh blood, it was time to have a chat with the beast. First to keep it from panicking, then to ask it questions!

"Alucard, after we finish, I'll take you outside for a long walk. We won't be doing any research with you tonight unless you want to. And I won't be angry with you at what you say, and I won't hurt you. But I do have questions for you." Red eyes turned up to him, showing tension, for the vampire hated speaking and talking and answering his questions, but no fear. Good! "When you get upset, we'll stop. Do you understand?" A nod, and immediately. Excellent, Alucard seemed entirely coherent! "Make yourself comfortable then, and I'll get my pad and paper. And then we'll start."

(Time to look up at your professor again! :) )

Alucard settled, nervously anticipating all the possible reactions of Abraham. But Abraham had said he would not be angry. Even after being told he was a sorcerer, though he truly was not, merely a dabbler...Abraham wasn't angry. Had soothed him, fed him, calmed him, allowed him fresh blood.

He didn't want to confess his abilities to Abraham, but it would appear he had no choice. The man could tell when he was lying; Alucard had no ability to lie at the moment! It was hard enough simply telling the truth; having to fabricate a lie in a reasonable amount of time was beyond him. The best he could do was dodge and try very hard to keep his expression from revealing it!

x x x x x

The session had gone far more smoothly than Abraham had expected, and he'd learned quite a bit about his charge that he'd never expected.

He HAD warded the room correctly, but Alucard had dismantled them. It would make containing the beast trickier in the future, though as broken as the vampire was, he wasn't overly worried. They had a very long time before the creature was self-sufficient again, after all. Alucard had some abilities, could create wards, hide his ability from others (apparently including Viktor), and the vampire could cast minor illusions. Alucard himself wasn't certain which abilities stemmed from being a vampire, and which were due to his ability to manipulate power. Other vampires seemed to lack this talent; Alucard had not encountered any able to recognize or react to it.

Anne's careful questioning had helped, here. She had a better grasp of what supernatural activities were possible, and which were not. Thanks to her, he knew that Alucard was capable of more forms than he'd admitted to. He couldn't change to them easily, but they were there. And his talent could affect the natural world more strongly than mere illusion and weather-altering, too.

He'd used that talent of his to steer the ship to England after killing most of the crew. It had gotten him out of his cell, alerted him to Viktor's presence, and let the vampire hide his power from Viktor. His interest in Anne when entering had stemmed from his ability to detect her own power. In Romania, he'd used those abilities to make his home difficult for mortals to find, to surround it with fog and misdirect the occasional "hero" that tried to hunt him and his family.

(Uh oh, does your professor know you're reading this?)

In short, it would make the vampire more difficult to contain...but not impossible. And he realized why the vampire had been so worried about him discovering its magical talents. If he knew the vampire could undo a warding, he'd either make more powerful wardings, or use blessed objects to contain the monster...as he'd done. And Alucard had clearly feared that if Abraham thought that he couldn't contain the beast, he'd kill the vampire instead.

And Alucard didn't honestly think Abraham could contain him, not if he truly wanted to escape.

Abraham didn't think he could right now, either, short of staking the beast and locking him up in his coffin. But he was quite sure that he'd find a way to contain and control the monster. Viktor seemed to think it was possible, after all.

Viktor. Damn. Alucard didn't like the man at all, and he found himself reluctant to tell the Russian what he had learned. Alucard had confirmed that the man did know what he was doing, and the vampire's concern at this reinforced Abraham's belief that controlling the vampire was entirely possible.

But Viktor would be gone for days more. Alucard was still leery of the possible repercussions of Viktor being told, and Abraham had considered that, perhaps, the vampire was correct. Viktor was not a nice person, though Abraham didn't think him evil, just selfish and a bit spiteful. If he knew that Alucard was talented, he might see the vampire as a rival and cause problems.

No, he wouldn't tell Viktor, not until the man was more familiar with the vampire and vice-versa. They wouldn't be attempting to bind the vampire for weeks, there was plenty of time to wait and make certain that Viktor was trustworthy.

(reminder to look up in class and pretend to pay attention...)

And in the meantime...he had a vampire that was waiting patiently for a chance to go outside. Alucard had cooperated, hadn't been more than a bit nervous, but the continued questioning over an hour and more had worn the beast's nerves out! The vampire's coherency had degraded, the sentences becoming shorter, the words tumbling and stumbling as the vampire forced them out. Well, no more.

He finished his last few notes in the book, then put it down to see the hopeful, yearning eyes of the vampire. Anne would be joining them on a long walk about the boundaries of his minor estate, through the pastures. Alucard didn't object at all when he'd asked Anne to accompany them.

And Anne's delight at seeing the nervous, reserved vampire fairly romp about them was infectious. All three were smiling by the time Abraham called it a night and brought them inside.

(I had intended to write this up earlier, but didn't have the time to do so until now. Thank you for the person that reviewed the last chapter! I'm very glad Tatianne shared this with you, and I've sent her the full text versions of all six stories, too.) 


	110. Chapter 110

(I was sick the last few weeks, and I really didn't have time to write this tonight. But it stuck in my head and insisted. I've still got a lot of catching-up to do IRL, but here's at least ONE new chapter!)

ch 110

The vampire was much more relaxed, eyes sparkling, moving confidently, and Abraham still needed to show Anne the laboratories where she would be working. Alucard hesitated only briefly at the top of the stairs, scenting the air and listening closely to the sounds from below, before visibly shrugging and pattering casually down the stairs after them.

Amazing. Timid one moment, fierce the next, playing like an oversized puppy or active child when outdoors, now appearing almost entirely relaxed. The vampire was nowhere near predictable, nowhere near sane...but the creature was clearly trying.

"Here are the test tubes. Clean and ready ones are placed here, instruments for handling them are in the drawer below. When finished, place the soiled instruments in the bucket, there," Abraham's hand pointed out the bucket of dingy water with mysterious bits of glass and metal already peeking above the surface, "and Alucard usually cleans them."

Anne nodded her understanding, eyes moving across the solid shelves, the wood still newly raw and already covered with various research glassware and the occasional apparatus.

"This bench is the one I use. When Father Jacobs joins us, he takes that one...and we've left this one for you. Alucard does his cleaning and any metalwork at the table in the back." He'd hoped Alucard would be amenable to having Anne join them in the room. Having her join any of the other rooms would result in them being almost unbearably crowded, and she was the only other researcher he thought the vampire could tolerate the proximity of. Indeed, Alucard was entirely unconcerned, already scooping up the bucket and moving to his own corner to work.

"Metalworking? What sort of metalwork, and why Alucard?" Anne had already taken a quick glance at her workspace, and was moving casually over to Alucard's area, an inquisitive look on her face. For his part, the vampire simply shifted slightly away from her, his expression only vaguely wary...and then turned back to his chore of cleaning the glassware.

"Silver is deadly to vampires, and we've found mercury to be somewhat inimical thought not anywhere near as effective." Abraham moved to follow them, explaining further as he, too, stopped beside the bench and it detritus of metal bits and various crucibles. "We're finding out what concentrations and purity of the metal is effective. Can a bullet that is only partially silver, an alloy, perhaps merely tipped with silver, be used to defend against them? What concentration is needed? Silver is a poor choice for ammunition as it deforms so readily, but an alloy would be sturdier and cheaper."

"What have you found?" She reached for a few of the lozenges, with a quick glance at Alucard as if asking for permission. There was a flash of brief surprise on the vampire's face, then a slightly pointy, barely-there smile.

"Those are all ready to be melted down. It won't affect any experiments if you wish to examine them." Fluent, even! Abraham was more and more impressed. Alucard seemed almost as at-ease around Anne as he was around Abraham himself; clearly, the vampire didn't find women as threatening as men. Abraham had suspected that would be the case, and was very relieved to find that it was so. The long walk and the lack of anyone in the room but the three of them had stabilized Alucard, then kept him calm and coherent. Abraham couldn't help but grin. Alucard was so rarely fluent when anyone else was present that seeing the vampire carrying on even the slightest conversation with Anne was simply amazing! He simply stayed back, observing the vampire's behavior.

"How do you use these?" Anne held one the tiny lozenges up to eye level, squinting at it. "And...what does this mean? 2.5 Sn?"

Dirty tools forgotten, Alucard picked up another lozenge with the tongs. "Each of them is a different concentration. That one is 2.5% silver, alloyed in tin." Using the tongs, the vampire extended the next bit of metal out to her. "This one is also 2.5%, but in copper." She took the scrap of metal, comparing it to the first, and Alucard retrieved a test tube and pinched up a third lozenged. "This one was mixed with lead. Each one fits in a test tube. My blood is placed in the tube, the reaction observed." The tongs opened, and the bit of metal thudded dully into the bottom of the tube, which he then extended out to her.

"Fascinating." She smiled, rattling the metal about in the tube, then placed it and the metals back on the table. "What have they found?"

Alucard's fluency had run its course, and he simply shrugged at her. Abraham stepped forward, filling in for the silent beast. It was possible that Alucard didn't know the details, for they hadn't shared all the information with him, simply recording it in journals, and he wasn't privy to their late-afternoon meetings where they summarized what they'd learned.

"All silver, at any concentration above approximately one percent, has some effect. Those that you are holding I tested almost a week ago. They did corrupt his blood, but very, very slowly. It took nearly an hour for the first indications of the reaction to appear. As the concentrations increase, the effectiveness increases at what we find to be a near-exponential rate. Above 50%, there is no discernable difference; the reaction is instantaneous and extreme."

Anne fingered the bit of copper again, thinking a bit. "But do they have the same effect on Alucard?"

Abraham had wondered that himself, but was extremely reluctant to ask the vampire to hurt himself. "We would prefer Alucard not injure himself. The effects of silver on vampires can be...destructive. However, these results hold true for any of his tissues, including the clothing he's generated. I'm focusing now on learning if other metals might increase the effectiveness of the silver. Others are working with woods, fabrics, stones. And not just the physical and natural items. We have priests of both churches with blessings, Fredrick is adding the occasional pagan substance, herb, or ward, and we're expecting Viktor to contribute substantially more magical interactions as well when he returns.

"This, this was only slightly effective, correct?" Anne held the bit of copper up, twisting it. "And Alucard has never touched it?"

"Correct."

Anne turned to Alucard, again addressing him directly. "Would you be willing to touch this? Or an even weaker concentration? If Abraham is correct, I don't think it would be likely to injure you." Alucard actually reached towards it with a finger, hesitated, then drew back. "If it injures you, would you accept more of my blood as an apology?"

Red eyes snapped to her face, and the vampire swayed back and forth, obviously indecisive. Anne was slightly startled by this sign of the vampire's mental damage, eyes widening briefly before she hid her reaction, and waited patiently.

She'd thought the vampire was going to refuse...then the thin, gloved hand reached out and the metal was very, very hesitantly grasped between finger and thumb.

The vampire had already flinched, clearly expecting a burn or reaction, but as the seconds ticked by, his expression changed from a wince to surprise to faint pleasure.

"Master...it's WARM!" The vampire practically purred with delight at this discovery, snatching a few other samples off the table to hold them in his palms, grinning down at them.

"Warm, Alucard?" The vampire nodded happily, and Abraham reached to touch them himself. Were they truly warming? Or was it simply the reaction with the vampire's skin that created the impression of warmth.

Warm. They were definitely warm...and Alucard's palm, where they rested, was chilling. Warm, but not painful, and the vampire seemed delighted with the new experience. He seemed completely unharmed, only the cooling of his hand at the point of contact the result of his contact with the metal.

Alucard was clearly delighted by his ability to handle the metal bits; he'd been very careful and nervous when pouring and forming them, and their harmlessness had put a smile on the beast's face. The vampire obviously enjoyed the warmth they generated, too, despite the cooling of his own body.

He'd also forgotten Anne as he played with the bit of metal, pouring them from hand to hand, holding them against his cheek.

"Master, I touch them, they get warm. All of them!" the vampire was bubbling happily, and Abraham found himself grinning back at the foolish, childish, delighted beast.

"Well, when you finish playing with those, don't forget to clean up. Be careful of the higher concentrations, I don't want you injured." The vampire hummed a happy acknowledgement of his commands, flipping the bits from hand to hand, nipping and licking at them, eyes glowing with humor.

It was like a child with a toy. Anne thought so to, to judge from her own amused and bemused smile. Alucard was ignoring them to poke about on the bench and hunt for more bits of metal, though most had already been melted down and reused. Abraham returned to showing Anne about the lab, from the little drawer where the lucifers were stored to the glass bottles holding alcohol and the distillers, stands, racks, and burners.

When they left for their beds, Alucard followed docilely behind them. Not entirely silently, though, for the pockets of his coat bulged and clicked with the bits of detritus he'd harvested to play with and entertain himself for the remainder of the night.

Abraham hoped the beast didn't hurt himself...but the concentrations were low, he seemed so happy, and his skin warmed up immediately.

The most surprising thing of all, though, was the total lack of attention Alucard paid to the two waiting bottles of his dinner, as he was entirely caught up with the shining bits of metals! 


	111. Chapter 111

Ch 111

They were...fascinating.

Alucard poked at one of the metal tabs, feeling the warmth engendered by his touch, hearing the faint click as it rocked on the floor.

And he'd be worried. The hot metal would have certainly injured him, but he'd worn heavy gloves while working with the molten metals, handled the bits with tongs, watched cautiously when any of the others were handling the bits he'd created. He'd wanted to please Abraham, had been fascinated by the process of metalworking...but had been tense from the danger the entire time.

And they'd been harmless. Not all of them, true, but he was tossing bits of up to 5% silver from hand to hand. Stronger concentrations created more warmth, and he suspected that stronger ones would injure him. Idly, he clenched his bared skin about one of the scraps, wondering what would happen. The minutes ticked by, the warmth becoming an uncomfortable burn, and he dropped the piece immediately.

Reddened, his hand was red, a thick indentation where the lozenge had rested, the tips of his fingers where they'd wrapped about and touched it nearly blistered. And cold, so cold...touching it with his other hand showed him how very cold his hand had truly become.

But not damaged beyond that. And with a few sips of his cold blood, the damage faded away, the hand slowly warmed to its normal chill state from the icy condition it had been in. The metal bit cooled, and he grinned, picking it back up to flip it about.

It wasn't long before he was sprawled on the floor, the baker's dozen bits of metal before him on the floor. He idly stacked them, watching the faint light from the hallway gleam off them, feeling the warmth they engendered. Warmth was uncomfortable for him, but not these. These provided the illusion of warmth while cooling his body. And yet it blistered him, burned him, though so slight as to be easy to ignore.

Fascinating. He poked them about, stacked them, randomly selecting one to nibble at it idly, tucking it in his cheek and wondering at the acrid burning taste of it. Before long, he was spitting it out, the surface pitted slightly from the contact, his teeth icy where they'd touched it, a blister forming on the delicate skin in his mouth.

He played with his discovery nearly till dawn, leaving them stacked neatly inside the brown coffin as he sought his own coffin to sleep. He relaxed, then frowned slightly, realizing just how childish his behavior had been. But the frown was quickly replaced by a grin as he remembered the giddy relief and the odd pleasure of the warmth and the cold of the bits, the dance of light around the surfaces, their pleasant clinking.

He was satisfied, delighted with his discovery and his toys, pleased with the proximity of Anne throughout the evening. It had started so disastrously...but it had been pure delight to have a woman there. Mina's hatred of him was tempered by pity, vastly diminished by his extreme change, but any attempt to even begin to deliberately attract her would be met with rage and vengeance. She and her husband had already hunted him once. Once was enough. Anne, though...she had no husband. She'd spoken to him, thanked him. Shown him his shiny toys. Touched him, yes...but...apologized? Fed him.

And Master was there, Master would make certain that Anne did not...his mind faded, wondering what dangers she might pose, but not worried, no, not with Abraham there. And he slept.

x x x x x

Viktor stayed gone, returning briefly once to deposit some newly purchased supplies in his rooms, collect a few of his own texts, and vanish again. He'd reassured Abraham that he'd found a supplier for what he'd need, and was researching the most effective ways to contain the vampire. Yes, he could restrain the vampire right now, but the vampire had already escaped one set of restraints. He'd rather create something more permanent. His explanation had placated Abraham, no longer in any rush to restrain the vampire, and Viktor had left after a few updates on the beast and an introduction to the Americans.

He'd forced himself to be polite to them, longing to be out of the house with its reek of vampire and crowed of nosy, gossiping, foolish people. Idiots...a vampire...as a housepet. He was being used to clean the basement and melt metals together, something a mere maid could be trained to do. And he was an absolute fount of magical supplies, money, and more! Still...he did manage to obtain several vials of blood, far more than he'd hoped, and a veritable handful of hairs. Those would come in very useful in trades or simply to sell to other practicioners. Abraham thought he was using them to determine which spells would be useful. A few drops might go to that, but no more.

He planned to replace all the money he'd been spending on lodgings and supplies, and perhaps craft a few spells he'd been wanting to practice, but had encountered difficulty obtaining the power to put them in motion. Torturing people, killing them, was a fantastic source of power but difficult to obtain with any regularity. Animals were much easier, but still had to be purchased, and they provided so much less energy, and of a lower quality. A mere vial of vampire blood had nearly as much energy as an adult!

The quantity of vampiric tissues made each smile and nod worth it, though his cheeks hurt before he could excuse himself and take his loot back to his room in London. How this group of peasants and fools had terrified the vampire, he'd never know. But they'd managed...it only went to show just how weak and broken the stupid beast was. Too bad he hadn't bitten a few of them and ghouled them.

He wondered...could harvested vampiric blood produce a ghoul? Abraham said not, and they'd worked safely with it for weeks. But if he combined his own spells with it, studied it...perhaps. His own pet ghoul, under his control? Perhaps with the next set of blood. Such thoughts kept him occupied until he was back in London, vials clinking slightly in the padded black velvet bags, visiting a few more clients of his vellum supplier. They were practicioners after his own style, and the blood would be a very valuable commodity to them.

Unfortunately, a few of them would undoubtedly use it to power spells to try and kill each other off, decreasing his own customer base. But there was naught for it, and there were plenty of buyers. He'd be quite wealthy before he even obtained the vampire!

x x x x

His vampire was using one of the bits of metal like a piece of worry-wood. Abraham and Anne had to try not to laugh, for whenever there was a pause and Alucard had nothing to do...he'd begin to flip the copper lozenge between his fingers, shuffle it from hand-to-hand, and in general focus all his nervous energy on it. It didn't seem to hurt him, other than the very cold hands it produced, and Alucard seemed to enjoy the sensation.

Abraham still wondered at that. The silver that he'd used on the vampire at the beginning, before it had even been awake, had gotten cold to the touch. He didn't know if the vampire itself had gotten cold. He had assumed it had been burning, from the sound and appearance. And he wasn't about to remind Alucard by asking him to explain it.

Perhaps it had been the concentration. That had been almost pure silver with very few impurities. The bits Alucard was holding were almost pure copper, with only traces of silver. Even now, it flashed between the slender white fingers, gloves tucked in the vampire's pocket, the digits dancing about the metal and spinning it in the palms. So childish, to be so fascinated by the metal...

But definitely amusing to watch! 


	112. Chapter 112

Ch 112

Alucard poked irritably at the metal lozenge, his grumbling almost, but not quite, inaudible to Abraham. The vampire had settled down well with the new men, interacted with Anne in a non-predatory but non-frightened way, and had spent the last four days playing with the little metal bits whenever boredom threatened. And now he was grumbling?

"Alucard, why are you upset?" The vampire ceased his poking about to respond.

"They are broken, somehow." He extended his hand, dropping three of the bits into Abraham's palm, all marked with a 2.5. "I can't feel them. They are just...metal." The vampire frowned. "They are the same pieces, but I can't feel them. Even if I hold them in my mouth...nothing."

Abraham was torn between amusement at the petulant tone and the vampire's continued obsession with the metals, and surprise at what had occurred. Had the vampire developed a resistance to silver? With Alucard's willing assistance, he and Anne filled a series of test tubes with fresh blood. A range of silver concentrations, with known effects, were added.

And...the reactions were less than expected. Not much, no, and higher concentrations reacted just as violently as before. But the very low concentrations...not so much. At 5%, the silver would visibly react, if only barely. Over the course of an hour, previously, the blood should have been completely destroyed. Instead...it was slightly blackened, but still viscous and liquid, as though Abraham had used a concentration of 3 or 4%. First, he'd dropped a 2.5% tablet into a vial as well. It should have destroyed the blood within a few days, and show visible damage, if minor, within a few hours. Even so, by the time they finished with the other blood samples, initial test showed no visible damage. At all.

Alucard was developing an immunity to low concentrations of silver. He was more annoyed that his toys no longer worked, but Abraham was far more concerned. For the evening, he had Alucard create a new range of metal bits for toys, ranging from 3 to 5%. He'd have the beast play with them for a few days, and see if he continued to lose his vulnerability to those as well. Alucard had reported that the few he already had with those concentrations had continued to affect him, but not as well. With the increased number of them, Abraham was anxious to see if the beast would become immune to those levels as well.

Alucard was happily occupied at the tiny forge for the rest of the evening. Anne and Abraham were not so relaxed. Silver was one of the primary weapons against vampires. Could one become immune to it? 


	113. Chapter 113

(yes, I know, a long time between updates! People who didn't left logged-in reviews got at least a little explanation, but if you left the review w/out being logged in, you were out of luck. Sorry! It's been VERY busy with the last week of school, an online course, and ramping up for summer classes! You're always welcome to send me an IM, and as my profile states, I have a very different pair of stories over on AFF, called Teamwork and Repressed, if you're going through withdrawal. :-)

Chapter 113

In less than a week, the vampire's reaction to silver up to 5% was simply gone. Higher concentrations still damaged the beast, but not as much as expected. Only at concentrations of 50% or more did the silver still react as strongly as initially. At lower values, the resistance to the silver was marked. It was a serious group that met that afternoon to discuss what they had found.

"We won't be working with him and silver directly at this point." Abraham's somber tone drew everyone's attention. "Already, concentrations that raised a burn and would have dissuaded him a mere month ago have no effect, not even a sting, according to him. He's going to recover at some point, and I don't want to deal with a vampire that we'll have trouble stopping. I would like to try blessed objects, something minor, and see if daily exposure to that shows any sign of weakening. If it does...we're stopping until he's under control. I find it fascinating that vampires can become somewhat immune to at least one of the weapons we have against them, and it was well worth learning."

A crooked grin on his face, and he continued. "Still, I'd rather not create a vampire that has such resistance! We've learned not to rely on one type of weapon too heavily in case a vampire isn't affected by it. A month ago, we had no idea that was possible. It was well worth learning. But Dracula was a truly evil and cruel creature; if Alucard should recover, we're going to need every trick we have to keep him under control."

"Have you heard from Viktor?" Father Michael's thin, older voice rose above the quiet murmurings of discussion, and Abraham nodded.

"Yes, and that is the next thing I'd like to discuss with you. Viktor will be ready to create the contract within the week. He said there will be a few more days or work to finish preparing the vellum, and then he'll return." A shifting in the chair, and a quick drink of unpleasantly cool tea, and he continued. "A contract...written in blood...will bind him. There is more to it than that; the vampire has to agree to enter into the contract. I'm going to emphasize again that we need to keep that vampire happy, because if he feels threatened, he might not sign. Right now, he values the ability to go wander outside with me, to sleep in his coffin surrounded by his soil, to have his dinner brought to him, and he values the company of myself, Father Jacobs, and even Anne. That is a bribe. I think he's simple enough to not forsee that even after he's recovered, he'll be under my control."

"And...if he doesn't sign it?" Danny's clear tenor spoke up, and Abraham's face grew a bit grim.

"Then he's chained up, away from his coffin, and left to starve until we need him. I may end up killing him, but not until we've learned what we can from him. It's much easier when he's cooperative, but it's not a requirement." At the looks of shock and traces of horror on their faces, he was quick to continue. "Mind, if that is the path we take, it will be because we aren't dealing with Alucard anymore, but Dracula. And I don't think any of us would regret taking such actions against that beast."

"The contract. What is this? It sounds like black magic, the Devil's work, written in blood." Both fathers were nodding and the others seemed to agree as well.

"I'm not entirely certain. Before we use it, I will be relying on all of you to study it and learn what you can about it and how it works. It's going to have to be complex, controlling all his abilities and preventing any evil activity; from death to maiming to more creative and less obvious cruelties. And that is why it will be more than a month before we bind him. Even after Viktor is here, we'll need to wait at least one full lunar cycle to another moonless night if we can. He claims that to be fully effective, it should also be done on a day of significance; the Saturday before Easter, perhaps, when all of Christianity is mourning that Christ is dead. Pagan holidays, such as Samhain, as well, though that's too far away. He's trying to find which days would be most effective for the next few months. And while we're waiting for that day to arrive, we'll be closing every loophole and making the most effective and binding contract possible." He pushed up out of his chair, pacing briefly as he continued.

"And yes...I think Viktor plans to use dark magic." His eyes caught Anne's and Fredrick's. "I'm relying on my other experts to find a more...neutral...means, contract, somehow, to bind him. He's evil, Dracula is, and it is likely to take something darker than we are comfortable with to bind him. But the other option is risking releasing that devil again, or treating him miserably to keep him contained." Steady, long strides took him to the window and back again. "We've got to bind him. Viktor has supplies and will know when. We've got to determine what to include and how to bind him in a manner that won't be condemning our own souls for black magic."

He was not mistaking the looks of relief in the eyes of both Fathers. He'd not damn himself by torturing the vampire, nor make a pact with the Devil to control the monster. There was plenty of knowledge gathered in this room alone, and if anyone could do it, they could. The only pinch was forming that bond before Alucard changed to Dracula. 


	114. Chapter 114

(it's a short document, but at least it pushes the story a bit further. In a week, I'll start having free time again and the updates will resume much faster!)

Possess 114

It was a daunting document. Viktor had returned the previous night, clearly tired but with the vellum and inks he said he would need. He'd also provided the rest of them with the basics of the contract he intended to have the vampire sign before retiring to his sleep. As none of the others were in the habit of finding their beds before midnight, they'd gathered in the study to read the contract together. Alucard had fussed so at being left alone, that Abraham had relented and brought the vampire upstairs as well.

He was currently curled in "his" window, muffled and hidden by layers of clothing, bottle of blood beside him, and quiet. It had been a bit nerve-wracking taking him upstairs, with all the others waiting in the single room, but Alucard had been on his best behavior. A bit of spooking again as he caught Viktor's fresh scent on the air, stiff-limbed nervousness as he entered the study full of people, and then...nothing. He'd calmed as he'd seen Abraham, Anne, and both Fathers there, ensconced himself obediently in his window, and become entirely entranced by the approaching storm. Tree branches tossed outside the window, lighting flashed, thunder rumbled, the occasional leaf tumbled across, and the vampire appeared to enjoy every bit of the show. A thin pane of glass kept him safe and dry, and with Alucard so fascinated by the storm, it was easy enough to ignore the beast and begin work.

And so they did. Viktor had done a marvelous job at the wording. Not only was Alucard required to obey and not injure his Master, but he was also required to protect, too. Abraham's blood and Alucard's blood would ink the final document, and any attempts to circumvent the binding would rebound through that blood, burning the entire vampire from the inside. Not fatal, but painful, with the pain building to agony until the vampire obeyed. Alucard would do as he was told, "or else," and the "else" was very threatening indeed.

But there was a balance, of sorts. As long as he obeyed, the notes explained, the vampire would be content, lulled. Blood produced a sense of satiation and satisfaction and contentment in a well-fed vampire. As the blood of Abraham inked the document as well, that would feed back, keeping Alucard calm and docile.

Stick and Carrot.

There was more, wording giving Alucard's word to follow and obey his Master, understanding indicated for the consequences of failing to obey. Abraham's word that he would not abandon the monster and force it to sustain itself, nor would he destroy it. Safety for Alucard, then, and a home.

There would be symbols, as well. Metatrons' cube and Christian imagery, pagan imagery, alchemical symbols and what appeared to be bits taken from the tombs of Egypt, all somehow connected with containment, protection, health, and warning. Not all symbols were listed, according to the information they were provided, and most of the dozen present were badly drawn and few recognizable. The scrawled notes by Viktor stated that he was not skilled with images, and would be practicing them before placing them on the contract. Until then, these were examples of what he'd be using.

And so they went carefully over the contract's wording, the symbols incomplete for now, though Fredrick and Anne had been able to identify a few of the recognizable scrawls.  
> <p>


	115. Chapter 115

Well, a year later...it's summer and I have time to write again :-) I'm hoping to finish this up! However, it's been months and months since I read the previous story and if I forgot something or contradicted a previous chapter, please let me know so I can fix it quickly. It's good to be back!

Test Subjects

"It should work." That was the general consensus of them all as they gathered in the labs the next evening. Alucard was not yet awake, and they'd take the opportunity to discuss the contract and the possible ramifications without terrifying or offending Abraham's monster.

"And if it does not?" Abraham's question was rhetorical. If the vampire recovered himself, became Dracula...No. When. Had there not been so many and severe setbacks they'd already be facing a dangerous and deadly creature.

"We'd have to destroy him." Anne's voice was calm but she, too, had grown fond of the flighty beast over her nightly interactions. "Not immediately, but if we find that he's recovering...yes. I think we all agree on that, Abraham. Letting Dracula loose on the world again is not something any of us want on our conscience."

It was Fredrick who pointed out that the binding was entirely untested, and they'd be using this contract on a very powerful vampire indeed without having seen how it worked, not at all. Spells could have bizarre and unanticipated consequences, and his background knowledge pushed him to argue for another risky undertaking.

"Abraham, I'm just highly uncomfortable with this. No one has tried this with a vampire before. None of us trust Viktor. Dracula is immensely powerful." Fredrick paced, fighting to put his concerns into words. "We don't know if it will work. We don't know the consequences of such a binding on a vampire. What we expect to happen is clear, but this, this is new work, not a tried and perfected, structured and understood process. The point is, I do not want to experiment with Alucard as our first subject. There is too much risk. He's so damaged already, and there is a great deal of unaccessed power in that beast. We need to practice this."

A nod. Abraham could see the wisdom in this, but, how? "I'm assuming you've thought this through and have a solution of some kind? We don't have any other vampires and I'm not about to allow Alucard to create one, nor do we have the vellum needed or other supplies."

"Yes." Grabbing a pencil and sheet of paper from the lab bench, Fredrick began to list out what was needed. "We need vampires, at least one more. Well, as we looked for Alucard, we determined that there are others out there. If he helps us, we're almost guaranteed to find a few more. Even without him, we'll find some. Do this during the bright daylight and I bet we can locate and capture a few while they sleep. We'll need to ward another room to keep it or them in, but that's something doable, too. Might even be able to keep them with Alucard, which would provide us with more space. Don't think I'd want to be cramped into two research rooms again." The pencil scratched across the paper. "Vellum. We were getting the very best for Alucard's spell because we need the strength and it has to last a very long time. Not so with a weaker vampire. It doesn't need to last. Anyone think that regular vellum wouldn't work to give us some basic information about the spell?" Voices began, working out solutions, pondering effects. Would Viktor be needed? Could they do this lesser binding without him? Would he be willing to do this? Did they have enough already to set up a basic binding by a contract? How could they get a "wild" vampire to enter into such a contract? Threaten, or bribe it?

The discussion ended when the sun set and Alucard woke. No one wanted to stress the beast by discussing what they'd do to it, nor did they want to give him time to prepare a way to dodge such a binding. He knew they had something planned, but no details. The papers were quietly whisked away into a drawer and the night's work began.

x x x

Providence smiled on them. Two days later, one of "their" police officers came to them to report the rumors of an attack just a bit southeast of London. A boy had been savagely mauled, and the locals were blaming a pack of dogs. No one was looking into it very closely, but there had been no paw prints by the boy, and no reports of aggressive dogs in the area, either. No one had heard the sounds of a pack attacking the child, though he'd been in a small alley between his house and a shed. It was simply too suspicious. SOMEONE in the house should have heard this! But the obvious bite wounds and damage had led it to be written off as a dog attack. Aware that there were "other" explanations, the officer had come directly to them with the report.

And so they were off, riding in Arthur's grand carriage and Van Helsing's lesser one, coffin taking up the floor space with a sleeping vampire inside. They had a basic map of the area, the roads, the location of a cemetary, and an entire afternoon of daylight to find their vampire. There had been some debate about taking Alucard at all, but he'd thrown a hissing fit at the thought that Abraham would be leaving him alone all day, and an angrier, almost possessive growling fit at the realization that Abraham intended to bring ANOTHER vampire back. He wasn't aware of WHY that new vampire would be arriving, not specifically beyond being an extra research subject, but he wasn't happy regardless.

Realizing how upset the vampire was at the thought of Abraham and even Father Jacob's being gone all day, leaving him alone (no matter how well locked up he was!), Abraham had sighed and agreed to take him along. The coffin was safe enough in Arthur's carriage, and there was room enough between the two carriages to take everyone, including the officer, AND the vampire. For most of the trip, he and Father Jacobs stretched out to nap on the long benches, coffin between them.

By noon, they were rolling up to a small country inn, the tops of the gravestones just barely visible over the top of a hill. After a quick lunch, they'd be searching those tombs, relying on the police officer to provide legitimacy and keep the local law from interfering. 


	116. Chapter 116

Bet you didn't expect to see this, did you? :) Yep, trying to catch up! I've wanted to do this for weeks and finally took the time to sit down and do it!

-v-v-

It...had not gone as expected. Then again, where Alucard was concerned, the unexpected tended to be the norm. Driving back to the house, they sat in shocked silence; Abraham, the Harkers, the priests, Anne...the only ones that had not participated were the American wives! Even Alucard was silent and speechless, his expression best described as "stunned". This trip had reminded them all, forcefully, that at his core he was a monster.

-v-v-

Alucard lay quietly, propped in his coffin, forcing the blank expression to remain unchanged on his face. Things were changing, and until he had adjusted to this new equilibrium, he was going to have to conceal that from his Master. It had begun casually enough. The humans had reached the cemetary and started searching crypts and graves while he slept. He didn't know how much of the graveyard they'd covered, but they'd clearly missed something. Not long after dark, they'd returned to gather around the coaches. He'd woken in Arthur's fine carriage, lid off, supported on pillows, with the comforting sound of Abraham's voice droning outside the conveyance.

They HADN'T left him at home after all, and he felt a small smirk form on his lips. His near-panic at being left alone, unguarded, had not been pretense, but he'd also been pondering the situation from the viewpoint of being alone with the American women. No fainting lilies, those; tough, no-nonsense, and sharp. But not a bit stodgy in form or overmuch taken with being plain. They had well-endowed figures and lovely gowns and such pretty, pretty bare necks... While he could unhappily admit he'd never have had the courage to prey upon them, he could happily daydream about such! Also...Master was hunting a vampire. While part of him was unquestioningly certain that Van Helsing could capture any vampire the man chose (after all, HE had been caught!) another part of him screamed at the danger. And for that reason as much as the first, he'd insisted on accompanying them.

And that was when he'd detected the other vampire. The foolish thing had gone upwind of its prey, bringing the sour scent of its filth to his nostrils. Young and stupid, cowardly enough to have hunted a child, stupid enough to leave its mark all over the body and the body so easy to find. And now it had found his Master and the others. It took only a moment for his sleep-mazed and damaged mind to connect the facts, and...NO!

With a lunge, he launched himself out of the carriage, landing heavily on the ground. Abraham's head turned to face him, slow, so slow... Father Michael was beside him, a look of horror slowly forming on his face as he recognized Alucard and the vampire's fury. Time dragged, everything moving so slowly, or was he moving so quickly? He didn't know...but he did know that there were no others near Abraham. In the other coach, across the cemetary, already gone, it didn't matter. And the other vampire had seen two humans, one very old and weak, isolated and alone in the cemetary.

Lunch.

-v-v-

The carriage door had slammed open, Alucard...no...Dracula, with that much rage and hate, hitting the ground and springing towards them, face a mask of rage. Abraham could not pull his pistol in time...all he could do was begin to step in front of Michael, perhaps giving the man a fighting chance to escape...

And the vampire's next giant stride launched the monster past him, to snatch another vampire out of the air behind him.

Dearest God in Heaven. He...it...he had almost been eaten by the vampire they'd assumed was not there. Father Michael, too, the older man's eyes huge and face white as they turned to face Alucard. He'd almost left the vampire at home after all, not wanting the trouble and risk of hauling the unstable beast away from the estate. And if he had done so...he'd be dead. Ashes or a ghoul, and so would Michael have ended up, too.

A cynical part of his mind whispered that at least this time, it hadn't been Alucard that he'd expected to have killed him. A second part immediately corrected it. He had thought Alucard was attacking him, had started to draw his pistol to shoot the vampire. Almost betrayed the beast yet another time. Maybe, hopefully, Alucard had not noticed his hand moving towards his pocket and the weapon, did not realize what he'd nearly done.

Alucard, however, stood with head thrown back, blood running down his neck in great rivulets, teeth sunk into the neck of the other vampire as it hung limply from his mouth. A toss of the Alucard's head backward caused the other vampire to flop about weakly, the eyes open and staring in pure horror and agony from above his own vampire's blood-soaked chin. Abraham could only stare, moving a few steps to stand beside Michael, dimly aware of the others now boiling belatedly out of their own coach.

A few more shakes of Alucard's shaggy black head, a few more noisy gulps of blood, and the second vampire was released to fall with a decisively inert thump to the ground...and then turn to dust. Alucard's...Dracula's? blazing red eyes met his own, glowing as the vampire pulled his head upright, bloody maw grinning at him. Uncertain, Abraham's internal debate shifted between thanking the beast, and shooting the monster.

Alucard saved him the effort. The eyes began to cloud again, the face to become puzzled, then blank, and then the vampire sat heavily on the ground, staring dazedly at his own feet. Even when the others gathered around Abraham and Michael, voices raised in concern, eyes scanning the cemetary for a second vampire, Alucard remained quiet, dull-eyed and vacant.

-v-v-

"Alucard?" Master wanted him. Not Master? His mind was boiling, buzzing and burning with thoughts, old emotions reawakening and old perceptions re-establishing themselves. Hard-earned wariness kept him quiet, and he continued to maintain the appearance of vagueness and uncertainty. His head tilted up, eyes focused blearily on Abraham, and he forced out a quiet, questioning, "Master?" Part of him screamed at him to curse the man, to tear him limb from limb in retribution, to feast on his blood; another part of him told him to fear the man, that he was dangerous. A third voice clammered that this was Master, his Maker, to be obeyed and loved and needed and never, ever harmed.

The fourth voice told him to stay quiet and unaggressive, unresponsive, until he had time to adjust. That was the voice he listened to, slowly acknowledging Van Helsing, allowing himself to be guided to the carriage, placed in the coffin to rest and recover.

He lay there for some time, keeping the tumultuous war in his mind from showing on his face.

-v-v-

He was Dracula, no longer a broken Alucard. The vampire he'd eaten, with its vampire mind and vampire personality and vampire responses, had changed him. In absorbing that creature, he'd taken in its essence, added it to his power instinctively, as he'd always done. And the creature had resisted, fought him until he could force it down, and in that short time...he'd been changed.

He was a vampire again. And all that this meant was awakening inside him.

And it was not replacing what he had been, the Alucard creature. That was him as well, experiences and emotions and responses just as valid as the vampiric ones that now coursed through his mind. They were merging, creating a new self. One no longer broken and weakened, he hoped, but he could only wait and think and try to work through what he had become and was becoming. Right now, he was not capable of responding reasonably; Abraham might well be able to destroy him if the man realized what had happened. Abraham sat on the seat near him, shocked and silent, Arthur across from him and demanding to know what had happened. Father Jacobs was there, too, and it was...surprising...the man was worried about HIM? Asking Van Helsing what had happened, if Alucard was alright, if the vampire was injured? Arthur, too?

Why were humans worried for the well-being of a vampire? His mind threw up scenes of the past when they had provided, protected, or cared for Alucard.

Confused, he remained silent. Until he understood, he was unwilling to destroy them. He knew patience. Their deaths could wait until he knew that was what he wanted. Killing them might be something he regretted, and he could always kill them later if that was not the case.

He remained quiet, feigning confusion and exhaustion and the dim, slow self he had been as they traveled back to Van Helsing's home. They were nearly there before he found himself capable of again hiding his essence. It was a good thing, too...he could feel the loathesome touch of the Russian's aura though they were not even to the end of the drive! His talents were clearly returning to their previous levels of strength, and he expected that soon he would not fear losing control by accessing his full powers.

For now, his fatigue was no longer feigned, his mind exhausted by having to change so drastically and so rapidly. Dracula or Alucard or both or neither, it did not matter yet. He needed to rest and mentally recover his footing and energy. And then he would deal with the man that had brought him down, one way or another. 


	117. Chapter 117

(One chapter left! Don't expect it up until next weekend; I don't think I'll have any time. But maybe we'll be in luck!)

Copies

He'd stumbled down the stairs, drooping. Abraham had offered him another bottle of blood, and he was happy to take it and drink it, though he wasn't exactly hungry. His mind felt...overstuffed. Part of him wanted to rip Abraham's throat out, but he also worried that Abraham would see that he had changed, and kill him. For now, he'd spend the rest of the night tucked away in his room. Behind him, he heard the heavy steps of the men carrying his coffin down. He should be upset at that, but he found himself trusting them. It was Father Jacobs, after all, and Fredrick, and Daniel. John and Arthur would have helped, but had stayed upstairs so as not to upset him.

It was so odd, so many humans worried about him. Humans shouldn't worry about vampires except to worry that one was hunting them. But this...them...it was so hard to understand. Even Abraham, not touching him but near him, watching his stumbling progress with concern writ clear on his face.

They settled the coffin in the room while he slumped near the door, and lingered, eyes on him. Not remotely threatening, just...concerned.

"Alucard?" Abraham's soft voice pulled him back, and he raised his head to meet Master's eyes to see the concern showing clearly. He couldn't just ignore that, could he? Could he? He would have as Dracula...but now...

"I'm alright. It was strange to kill a vampire, exhausting in a way." A pause, while he tried to put this into words that would soothe but not reveal. "I just need rest, Master."

"Were you this tired when you killed the vampires before?" Abraham was curious, but needed to know...did fighting another vampire exhaust them? Alucard had revealed that they regularly fought each other over territory, that he'd killed seven...no, eight...before. Was this a new problem due to his injuries, or normal? One was a cause for concern, the other merely an insight.

A pause, as his vampire clearly marshalled his tired thoughts into coherent sentences. "Not this tired, no. I didn't usually bite them, I tore them apart." Tired red eyes blinked vaguely at the wall as the vampire paused, then continued. "I bit this one. It made me tired. Vampire blood is not what I should eat. I need to sleep." And Alucard looked longingly at his coffin, something Abraham had never thought he'd see again. Alucard had been so flightly about that, it was good to see. He might simply have been too tired to be scared, or it could be an encouraging sign that at least this part of the damage was lessening.

"I'll leave you to sleep, then. Do you need extra blood tomorrow?" A pause, Alucard's thoughts still so slow and difficult to marshall, the struggle showing on that dulled face.

"No...no. Just...rest." Pleading, that. And with a nod, Abraham withdrew, leaving the vampire to rest.

-v-v-

"I have the contract ready." Viktor had been more than a bit angry that they'd left him and planned to bring back and try his binding on a weak vampire. It would work, and they didn't trust him? Him? A master practicioner? Pride pricked, ability questioned, he was ruder and more bad-tempered than ever. They'd come back up after settling that pathetic excuse for a vampire Abraham had, and confessed that while he had been gone, they'd tried to catch and bind a second vampire as "practice" and to "verify that the contracts could hold a vampire." And he'd come back, with the contract ready for Abraham's additions and to bind the vampire in two day's time...to find that the man had taken his vampire out and it had fought another vampire! It had won, but it might not have. Abraham might have been killed, and Alucard gone. A disaster, and all his hard work could have been for nothing! He schooled his face to show only indignation and insult, not the flaming rage he felt.

Those fools. He had the contract...and then he had HIS contract. A bit of sleight-of-hand and the beast would be bound to him, not Abraham. Even if it recovered, regained the power he suspected it had once had, that contract would bind it. Alucard would sign willingly...and then find that he was the property of Viktor. And Viktor looked forward to the first command he'd give the vampire...to kill Abraham.

Silence reigned, and then Abraham broke it. "Already? I thought...I did not expect...thank you. We are very grateful. The new moon is in two nights. We'll need to study the contract as well. I am taking no chances; should something happen to you, I need to know what is needed to complete it. Alucard is not fond of you, and this contract is meant to bind him." Abraham had rushed at the end, having seen the angry flush on Viktor's face again as it seemed he'd had his competence questioned again, with them wanting to "check" his finest work! But it was a reasonable request, and Abraham was not about to bind himself or Alucard into a contract he himself did not understand.

"That is wise." Viktor's cold black eyes snapped at him. "And necessary, for there are some...additions...you must supply. And that vampire."

-v-v-

Fredrick was not pleased about having to rush, but the sample contract Viktor had supplied them with previously was very similar to the final contract he provided. Simple and straightforward, the carrot and the stick, the symbols of trust, protection, religion, and more now clearly drawn and detailed. Amazingly precise, the arcane markings the work of a professional, not a bit sloppy or showing anything but the highest caliber of expertise. There were a handful of blank areas, though, clearly waiting for an addition, and Viktor had smugly informed him that those would be filled in by Abraham himself...

"Fluids." Abraham's tone was disbelieving, and Viktor fought the urge to snap at him. The man fought him at every step!"

"Yes, FLUIDS." Annoyed, and not bothering to hide it, Viktor elaborated. "Blood will bind a vampire. But your notes tell me that he was not always a weak creature, and at least moderately capable. We will use the strongest binding possible, more than mere blood." Scornfully, he leaned back, a professor lecturing to an especially slow student.

"Saliva, for he heals through it. Even though it no longer works when separated from him, it is nevertheless his fluid. I believe that incorporating it into the contract may actually work to keep the contract intact for more years. Tears, for they are the sign of emotion. We wish to control his emotions, do we not? No rages, no mindless attacks of violence, to tame his ferocity, keep him content." And to inspire fear, force the vampire to grovel so sweetly at his feet. "Your seed, for all men are mortal. This will bind him to your bloodline, allowing any of your seed to control him when you are gone." And he intended the same for himself.

He'd need to find a few maidens, send the vampire out to grab them, get them with child. Afterwards, when they were no longer necessary, they'd have other uses. At his age, it might not be easy...but enough females, comely enough, enough time...it was possible. He would not have as much as he longed for, to rule a clan of his own, to watch them learn and command the world, but he would still glory in the knowledge that, in that way, he would be immortal through his children.

Abraham still looked hesitant, and Viktor changed his face to show only concern and embarassment. "Oh, my. I did not ask. You...I must be indelicate. You are still...capable? Yes?" He expected the man to become angry, to insist on his virility. No man liked to have his capability question, even if was accurate. The anger would spur Abraham into agreement...but there was no anger. Instead, Abraham merely nodded, staring down at the contract.

"It is sensible. And if it makes it stronger, then yes. Alucard is becoming better. When we returned, he entered his coffin willingly. There was always hesitation before. He is more fluent. And...when he attacked the other vampire... Dracula was there. The stronger the contract, the better. I am very, very glad that you traveled so far to come here and share your expertise."

Aware that he was being complimented, subtly manipulated, Viktor nevertheless preened. They were fortunate indeed, and he doubted they had any real idea of how much knowledge and power he had mastered. Before, it had been only knowledge, without power. But with the vampire blood, there was no sorcerer in any land that could match him.

"I will need the fluids tomorrow." Reaching into his voluminous robes, Viktor pulled out a handful of small, carved and decorated black and white bottles, every bit of their surface covered with some sort of symbol. "The ivory ones are for you, the ebony for the vampire. Red around the top is for blood, silver is for the tears, green is for saliva. He does not perspire, but you do. The silver-marked ivory flask is for your sweat." A silk pouch was produced from somewhere in his robes, the flasks dropped inside, and the cord pulled tight. He held them it out, watching it swing for a moment before Abraham nodded and took it.

He really didn't care about the man's contribution, but it needed to be there on the contract, or some sharp-eyed fool might notice the difference. Best to keep them as identical as possible. His own little flasks were already filled and waiting. Leaning back more into his chair again, he settled his thick robe more snugly across his lap, and watched smugly as Abraham took his leave with the empty bottles.

-v-v-

He'd chased them all out, lighting his chambers in the old laboratory brightly, approaching his task with an anxious anticipation. Not one contract, but two. Both identical. Except that one would bind the vampire to him, and the other would bind the vampire to Abraham. He could sense which was his, but none of the other men would notice. Anne was weak, a paltry little girl playing at magic, worthless, useful only to get a child on or feed his vampire, or both. She would not notice, either. None of the others had any talent, only knowledge.

As each line was carefully drawn, his own seed tracing a pattern identical to Abraham's, his blood and sweat following, a vicious grin slowly stretched across his face. He drew Abraham's first; if he made an error, it would mean nothing. But it was practice, making his hand trace out each precise line more confidently on his own contract.

Dawn lightened the sky as he finished. He was exhausted, no longer young, and staying up the entire night had been difficult. But necessary. A contract must be fresh, and one produced the night before its use was the freshest of all, the most likely to succeed. Both contracts now waited. Intent was in every stroke of his pen, every line of blood. All that was needed, now, was the vampire's consent and the addition of its fresh blood, mixed with his own vital fluid. A drop from each, and it would be done.

It was with a smirk that Viktor rolled up the contracts. One was left in clear sight on the table, the sharp pin beside it to draw Abraham's blood. The pin would never be used, but Abraham would not know that until it was too late. His own contract, the finest creation of a long life of practicing, was lovingly rolled up, and tucked away in the sleeve of his ceremonial robe.

He would swap them out, add a drop of his blood as he did so...and then Alucard would add his own, thinking he had bound himself to Abraham.

And then he'd have the joy of watching that beast devour that foolish, arrogant bastard, and then it delivering Anne to his waiting bed.

He laid in his own bed, the grin on his face unseen by any but the painting on his wall. He needed to sleep, he must not be at all tired or less than fully alert when this ceremony began...but oh, it was hard to sleep as his body thrummed with that pleasant, invigorating anticipation! 


	118. Chapter 118 Yes, it's done!

(yep...DONE...)

He'd kept his recovery a secret from Abraham, but recovered he was. The difficulty was that, for the first time in a long, long existence, he truly did not know what he wanted to do.

He hated Abraham for capturing him, for locking him away in a coffin, for starving and shooting him and staking him while he was weak, helpless, mad. But he also respected Abraham, and was wise enough to recognize what had been simply human mistakes when dealing with a powerful and intelligent and frightening predator. A few centuries ago, they would have enraged him...but with time and age came a certain acceptance of the fallacies of others.

As for Abraham's attitude towards him? Concern. Caring. Thoughtfulness. The man actually seemed to ENJOY his company, unheard of to a vampire! There was trust, too. No secret at all that even the broken Alucard could kill a man with no effort, and yet Abraham puttered about their lab, turning his back on the vampire with no worries, and with no weapon on his person other than a simple crucifix.

Like THAT would slow him down. All it would do was make him target some other area of the body!

He wasn't the same as he'd been. Dracula would absolutely have torn the men apart with no hesitation, bewitched and seduced the females before destroying them as well, then left the entire household in shredded palm-sized chunks for the sheer pleasure of it. He still would enjoy that activity, had no real objections to it, but he was also enjoying, well, puttering. Poking about with the metals, learning his weaknesses, the quiet companionship of Abraham and Jacobs. He'd done arcane research, yes, but a modern lab? Test tubes? A foot-powered centrifuge? This was new, interesting. At the very least, he now knew how to reduce his vulnerability to silver and possibly other antivampiric substances, and there was so very, very much more to discover!

Anne and Abraham were good company, even for humans. There was no territorial anger or possessiveness, no fights or squabbling. They took his snarls and snaps at the others in good humor. He didn't feel a real need to do so any more, no longer so frightened of walking meals, but he needed to stay "in character." And, it was entertaining. With Viktor about, he kept a tight leash on his powers, dampened and shielded, but he had full access to those powers whenever he needed them. Viktor was no longer threatening, either, but only an annoyance.

And then tonight Abraham had opened his door and begun a conversation about a contract. It was difficult to keep that dull confused and slightly fearful expression when his mind was spinning so quickly! It was something to analyze from each possible angle. A year ago, Dracula would have refused it out of hand, then painfully slaughtered the human that dared propose it. Now...he wouldn't do that, wouldn't sign...but...there were possibilities. He rather liked being safely sheltered during the day, liked having meals brought to him rather than have to exert effort to gain them, enjoyed the company of Abraham and the other humans, appreciated the entertainment value of scientific experimentation. After a few centuries of the same thing, night after night, existence became tedious. Now, it was anything but.

He didn't want to reject it out of hand. But he didn't want to bind himself to anyone, either. Face blank, mind racing, he simply stared at Abraham.

-v-v-

Alucard hadn't become angry at the mention of a contract, Abraham was certain there had been a brief flash of interest. The vampire wasn't objecting to the idea, but did not seem overly interested, either. Settling comfortably into a chair, he began explaining it to Alucard. Each component of the contract, what it would do. Slowly, in sections of information, with pauses between so the vampire could process the knowledge. The "stick" and the "carrot", his own responsibilities, and WHY he wanted to bind the vampire to a contract. Alucard would eventually become Dracula, and then he'd be forced to either kill the vampire or contain it in an unpleasant way. It was not something he wanted to do, not at all. Alucard's willing participation had been a huge boon to their research, and it was disturbing, truly, to picture the body of Alucard strapped down and screaming, even if the intellect in that body was Dracula. Alucard's eyes were slightly vague, with a touch of fear when he described how he'd have to deal with Dracula, then settling back to a soft red.

-v-v-

The men had put quite a bit of effort into this. It was fair, truly, from a human standpoint. And difficult not to smirk when Abraham mentioned what he'd have to do should Dracula return. He'd been alone, in a room with Dracula, undamaged and unthreatened, unharmed and untraumatized, for several minutes already. If he chose to do this...to bind himself to a human...and then revealed his recovery, what would happen? He didn't look forward to breaking the contract; he had no doubt he could, but they were difficult, messy things to deal with and it was never a pleasant experience.

Well, one way to find out.

"Master...if...if I am Dracula...what will happen?" A pleading, frightened look on his face, manipulating Abraham about.

"It depends on Dracula." Earnest eyes met his confused red ones. "If Dracula isn't fighting me, attacking me, refusing to cooperate at any cost, then I'd rarely have to use the contract to force his cooperation, end his predations. He'd have to stay locked away in his room or under close supervision by myself. I wouldn't hurt him unnecessarily, we've learned from you that blood and other tissues will show us if something is effective, but I do intend to experiment on him. I hope it's with his willing cooperation, but I don't think it would be." Abraham stopped, rubbing his forehead, trying to put his thoughts into words. "He'd be useful and thus cared for. But I would never be able to trust him, and my first thought is always going to be about keeping him from our throats. He'd be very unhappy, but I hope not truly miserable."

An honest answer, as he'd expected. Abraham really had no idea...

"And if he is miserable?" Quiet and worried.

"Truly miserable? He will always, always have the option to choose death." Abraham's words had a ring of sincerity and Alucard was surprised. He'd give up a promising research subject, something as useful as a vampire, if it could not be kept from misery? Interesting, that. And a relief; he'd had more than a few, more than a few THOUSAND, victims screaming to be allowed to die. It was a fear he'd kept in the back of his mind...but...no. Abraham would not allow it, and the man, with his habitual and ingrained honesty, would not lie about that.

"But...if he, if...he helps? Does not bite anyone, does not try to attack?" Schooling his face to earnest hope, Alucard waited.

"Oh, you have no idea, truly, how happy that would make me." A short bark of a laugh. "But this is Dracula. The best I am hoping for is grudging cooperation, and that I do not have to worry about that for years to come. I would much rather have Alucard beside me, certainly!"

"But...if?"

-v-v-

Abraham looked long and steady at the vampire. Alucard really didn't understand what Dracula had been like, not from his new viewpoint. But, he deserved an honest answer, even if the question would never be relevant. "If he is cooperative, unaggressive...I would probably give him much more freedom. Certainly I'd be more concerned about if he wanted to do something, rather than if he could tolerate it being done. But I can't see Dracula standing beside me, handing me a test tube or scrubbing a beaker, sitting outside in the courtyard with me, or walking through the fields when work is done. It would be far, far too much to expect of such a creature. But, if it should occur, I suspect I'd treat him not much differently than I treat you!"

Relief, yes, that was relief on the vampire's face, the body posture had relaxed from a subtle tension. The worst Alucard had to fear for Dracula was apparently not as bad as he'd expected, and the best-case scenario (not even wildly unlikely, but impossible) had reassured the creature further. It was hopeful. Alucard had until midnight to decide, then it was time to sign. If the vampire could not be convinced before then, another month would pass before it could be attempted a second time.

The contract? Alucard wanted to see the contract? Odd, so very odd. But, he had known how to take down the wards. He might well be able to interpret the document, to realize it was exactly what Abraham had described. Whether he could comprehend it was another matter.

-v-v-

Viktor was not happy, at all, about allowing the vampire access to the document.

"If he damages it, it will be wasted! Ruined! This is too much, do not be a fool!" The thin aged voice was raised to nearly a shriek of rage, but Abraham was adamant. Alucard's willing cooperation was necessary for the contract to hold him with the strength necessary, and the vampire was not going to agree to a contract he had not seen himself. It was several minutes of arguing, but a triumphant Abraham left the old laboratory with a scroll case under his arm and the contract very, very carefully placed inside.

-v-v-

Abraham had left him alone, as he requested, while he read over the document. A lab counter had been cleared and scrubbed clean, a clean cloth laid upon it for further protection, and then Abraham had carefully rolled out the document. Having the man hover about had been a severe distraction, but a display of timidity and stress had Master (Master? Well, yes, emotionally...what a nuisance) backed away to sit in Viktor's chair by the doorway instead. Abraham was going to watch to make certain that no damage was done to the scroll...but with his back to the man, Dracula (Alucard?) did not have to be cautious of his face revealing too much.

It was a work of art, and he hummed appreciatively at it, almost loud enough for Abraham to hear before catching himself! Everything Abraham had mentioned was there, and the work was...beautiful. Viktor was a bastard, there was no mistaking his essence as anything but a sorcerer, one more than willing to use the unwilling for his work...but he was a competent bastard. This work would hold any vampire, for a very, very long time. The addition of other fluids; his blood, tears, saliva...Abraham's seed? How odd...but wise. The man's blood, rising off the paper in a sweet scent, and the tang of sweat.

He was not any vampire, though. He was a sorcerer in his own right, and this contract was no more involved than any he'd made in his own work. Impressive, coming from a mere human, but nothing that could stop HIM. Slow him down, yes. Breaking this would be a bloody, uncomfortable, painful mess, but the contract was vulnerable. It would not hold him if he did not want to be held.

No reason for Abraham to know that, though.

The man's great grin at his quiet nod and the proferred contract safely back in its case pulled an unintentional one to his own face. Dammit, he actually did like the man. Abraham was more than mere prey, and that was a difficult concept to wrap his mind about. But, past the binding of Master and Child, past the reliance on the man, was an emotion he'd not directed towards a human since long before his first death. A world without Abraham would be a lesser place than a world with him. Yes, he would enter the contract. As long as Abraham did not drastically change, it would not be onerous, not at all.

-v-v-

The ceremony was conducted in the old chapel area. It was nothing but a fallen-down pile of stones behind the house, but Viktor insisted it was still potent, that it would somehow assist the binding. Fredrick had agreed on this, and so Abraham was standing out in the cold dark, with a vampire looming at his right shoulder, watching Viktor carefully unroll the contract. At the foot of the house, the rest of the party waited. They were entirely unwilling to miss the culmination of their efforts after all this time, the result that had cost Sean his life and nearly done the same for Abraham, the stress and fear and fatigue...tonight, it would be worth it. Viktor had insisted that they stay far back, but even so...they were an audience.

An unwanted one. Viktor scowled in their direction, their forms dim and faded in the dark. He himself was lit brightly, the lanterns ringing them casting a bright golden light. Candles would have been better, but the wind made that an impossibility. He truly hated working outdoors...but oh, tonight the prize would be worth it! The contract rolled in his sleeve with its fresh drop of blood from a finger prick, it burned into his side with the sheer knowledge of what would be his in mere moments!

Abraham's contract, now unrolled, was held before him. With the unwanted observers, the exchange of documents would be more difficult; he was glad he'd put the silver needle out for Abraham to use, after all! The fool was near-giddy with excitement, all for a vampire he didn't know how to use nor appreciate. In silence, as requested and required, Abraham pricked his finger, allowing a single drop of his blood to land on the contract. Primed, it now awaited Alucard's addition.

He'd told them the blood must dry a bit, at least a few minutes, be fully absorbed before the second blood was added. It gave him time, time to inspect it, to bend down by a lantern to see how well it was drying...to shove it into a sleeve and extract the real contract, now waiting and ready. His blood drop was not precisely the same place as Abraham's, but he did not expect the man to notice; only Alucard would see the contract, and that foolish beast would never understand!

Enough time had passed. Abraham's blood would have dried enough by now to make his own still-damp drop of blood unquestioned. Oh, it was hard to keep the smirk off his face, the joy at what he was about to own from showing! Instead, he stepped to the vampire, proferring the contract with one hand, and the ceremonial dagger with the other. A mere scalpel would likely have worked to draw a vampire's blood, but Viktor was taking no chances. That tiny extra bit of power from a consecrated dagger might be the difference between failure and success; doubtful, but no chances!

-v-v-

He hated that man, but Viktor was far too obsessed with the process to notice Dracula. Even if he'd released all the mufflings on his power, the man would probably still not notice, not tonight. The contract, yes...it was the same.

NO. No it was NOT!

Where the contract had contained the sweet, sharp essence of Abraham...this one reeked of Viktor! The bastard! Fury rose inside him like a tidal wave, that he would consider pledging himself to a man, and then have this creeping bit of cowardly scum attempt to corrupt that, steal it away for his own use!

In anger, his shielding dropped entirely, all of his attention on ripping apart the piddling rat in front of him. A clawed hand shot out, grabbing that scrawny neck as Abraham shouted something incomprehensible next to him. Teeth bared in a grin no human could ever match, or should ever see outside a nightmare, as the Russian choked and gasped and attempted to scream as the man dangled from his talons. Not entirely helpless, the man was trying to cut him, stab him, injure him with that dagger. Useless. No damage worth noticing, but yet another log was thrown on the inferno of rage.

His other hand shot out, this one lower, and the last thing Viktor saw was his own intestines in front of his eyes. The weak bastard fainted then, robbing some of the joy out, but Dracula still vented his rage by shredding the corpse, bits of it flung far and wide across the grounds, snarling with every dismembered bit.

Abraham was shouting at him. Abraham...yes. Fighting his anger down, much easier now that Viktor was only a smear and a few scraps of pink, Alucard turned to look at him. Abraham was terrified, but shouting to the others to get inside, get inside now, go to Viktor's lab, shield themselves! Why? He was not angry at them...oh. They had no way of knowing what had occurred. Easier to show than to explain.

Viktor's coat (well, half of it) lay nearby, and with a few steps, he'd reached it, stooped, and felt about. He could FEEL and SMELL Abraham's contract there, with a muted...buzz...it had not held previously. The addition of Master's blood? Perhaps...There. Blood on it, some of it Viktor's, a bit of it his from the little slashes of the blade.

His blood? He'd apparently signed the contract, but...not as intended. And Viktor's blood was now desecrating it. No, while he'd not intended to eat that foul beast at all, this was not acceptable. A few moments of effort, and the thin, sour blood of that bastard had been pulled off the contract and into himself. His own blood? He could not remove the recent stain without removing the blood that composed the contract itself. And if he did that...Abraham would terrified of him.

Contract unrolled and held before him, he turned to face Abraham. The man stood, shaking, face glistening with the sweat of stress, but firm and determined and, yet again, aiming that damn pistol at him. An internal sigh, would that man never learn? At least he'd waited to fire this time! But none of that made it to his face, and he simply waited, contract held in outstretched arm.

-v-v-

He wasn't attacking. Dear God in Heaven, Dracula simply stood there, watching him, the contract dangling from that taloned hand, waiting, for something. Contract? There was a contract at the vampire's feet.

Two contracts? Why were there two...oh. OH. Viktor, that bastard, he'd been up to something. And Alucard had permission to kill anyone that attempted to damage him deliberately...yes. Perhaps the vampire was still under his control, perhaps still Alucard?

That hope died as the eyes that stared back into his own were not the soft and confused ones of his vampire, but the sharp, bright, intelligent ones of his foe. The contract...which contract did the vampire hold?

The head tilted slightly as the vampire watched and waited, finally sighing slightly as Abraham fought through the knowledge. Patient...human minds were not as quick as a vampire's. He'd reach the right conclusion soon enough. Perhaps.

"Your contract, Master?" Ruffling it slightly, he held it out, and was pleased to see Abraham step forward to take it with a shaking hand.

It had been crumpled, shoved up a sleeve with no care given, then bled upon by the vampire, a true mess...but the symbols and sigils still remained, permanently embedded into the vellum. All that blood...had Dracula "signed" it, even unintentionally? He'd been called "Master"...was Dracula leashed?

He thought about asking, but it was irrelevant. If he asked the vampire if he was bound, the beast could give either answer. Bound, he'd answer truthfully Yes, but unbound? He could do the same out of sheer malicious amusement. Viktor had bled all over that document as Dracula...destroyed him...destroyed in a very final way. Was the contract still active? Did bleeding on it by accident count as Alucard signing (no, Dracula) it deliberately?

-v-v-

Dracula, no, he didn't like that. He wasn't Dracula now, Dracula would never have entered that contract. Alucard still suited him, he had been called that for months and had no objection to it. But Master's thoughts were clear across his face, and Alucard grinned at him. Not malicious, no, simply vampiric amusement...and Abraham seemed to recognize it as such.

Good.

He suspected he was bound to the human by the contract, but for now, he had no reason at all to try and break said contract. If he wasn't bound, he'd find out eventually. It seemed to have worked, but how strongly he was bound was unknown. And irrelevant. Smirking, he walked to stand by his Master.

It would be interested, quite interesting, to find out how Abraham acted while uncertain of whether or not the vampire was simply playing with him, and trying to determine why that was so...or if he was actually bound and obedient. He himself didn't know.

Bound or simply cooperating, neither of them knew as he follow Abraham into the house for the man to reassure, as much as he could, the other researchers and hunters that had helped create this new, entirely unprecedented interaction!

(the anime left the question of Integra hanging. I left the question of whether or not he was actually bound to Abraham hanging, too!) 


	119. Chapter 119 - The Epilogue

(I had a request for an epilogue. And I really hadn't described what I pictured Alucard doing as he retaliated against Viktor, either. So...here it is. The final chapter, an epilogue to Possess!)

Anne raced inside after the others, but instead of following them to the chapel or wherever they were going, she turned around to look back at what was happening. If Alucard wanted to destroy them, nowhere was safe. Not after what she'd seen, sensed.

The vampire had been toying with them all along. She'd known he had some sort of ability, but had been interpreting it on a human scale, and not considered him to be strong at all. He'd been damping it down, even when he was the broken and confused vampire they'd come to care for. And he'd been that broken, confused, uncertain vampire until Viktor had held out the contract, and everything had changed...changed beyond recognition.

The roar of rage had been followed immediately by what had to be the most terrifying display of power she'd ever witnessed or ever hoped to. Normally, she could sense, could detect, the powers of others. No one had ever been able to hide their abilities from her, but she'd never been able to "see" them, not as others had described them. This...this she had seen.

It was an explosion of power, so powerful that it seemed odd she was not deafened. Where Alucard had stood was a blazing pillar of black, lighting tendrils flashing and curling with an evil sort of snakelike intelligence about him. The vampire had glowed, reversed like a film negative, visible in a color that she was entirely unable to describe, dwarfed inside the huge roiling cloud of power. How had she ever, ever mistaken that for a simple sorcerer's power?

The always-slightly-hunched form of Alucard now stood straight and arrogant, evil radiating from him, eyes blazing. Viktor...she couldn't even sense his power, not in the overwhelming maelstrom that was Alucard. He was as terrified and shocked as she...and as Abraham whirled to shout at them to run to safety (what safety?) Alucard had reached out and calmly plucket Viktor from the ground, holding him to dangle in front of a grinning and demented face with far, far too many sharp teeth.

She'd thought he'd bite Viktor, had expected the vampire to rip the Russian's throat out, but what happened was far more frightening. In an almost methodical, careful, and precise way...the vampire removed the claws embedded in one of Viktor's arms, reached lower...and eviscerated him. One too-thin, not-human arm held the screaming man suspended, the other made a series of cuts with an almost-surgical precision, neatly removing the intestines with a speed that was next to invisible. The steaming innards were dangled in front of Viktor, with the grin widening even further on the vampire's face.

Viktor had died. Died, fainted from blood loss, fainted from the sheer horror, she didn't know. But the man hung limp and lolling from the vampire's claws, and the demonic grin fell to a look of frustrated anger...and Viktor was torn to shreds. Each piece ripped off restored the mad glee to Alucard's (no, it wasn't Alucard, this could never be Alucard!) face, each flung gobbet of human fresh added an extra touch of fire to the eyes, and before long, Viktor was reduced to scraps.

Everyone else was gone, only she remained, just inside the doorway...and Abraham, only a few yards from the vampire, a look of horror and betrayal and fear on his face. Grief struck her, pushing through the terror and fear for her own life. He'd truly cared about Alucard, had tried to do what was best for his vampire...and now would be destroyed by the very creature he'd worried about and cossetted and protected. Alucard...Dracula, this had to be Dracula, with that much evil...Dracula turned to him, grinning, and then...the grin fell.

The power faded, the rage falling and failing now that Viktor (what HAD the man done to trigger this? Moot now, she supposed), the vampire returning to a level that was...not Alucard. Not with that sharp, defined aura still visible to her senses. Not with that evil and cruelty she could sense, the instincts of a healthy human screaming at her. And Dracula turned his back on Abraham, did not kill him, but began searching through the remnants of Viktor...and holding out a...was that the contract?

She didn't faint, far too strong a person to do that despite the shock and horror and overwhelming psychic assault of the...it had only been minutes. Mere minutes, if that. But Anne found herself leaning on the doorframe, unable to move, unable to look away.

Bound. Alucard was...Dracula was...bound? She could sense, see no bond...but that meant nothing. Even had she been strong enough to do so, the residual power simmering around Dracula would have hidden it. But Abraham was still alive, still talking to the vampire, when she expected him to have followed Viktor.

Had...had they succeeded? Was this Dracula, now bound, not Alucard's willing servitude? At that thought, red eyes flicked her way, and she was treated to a sardonic grin, unseen by Abraham as the man stared down at the bloody contract now in his hand. The man was recovering his own equilibrium, looking at the vampire with clear suspicion in his eyes...and then turned to walk towards her, vampire trailing obediently behind him, the model of a well-trained servant if one could ignore the malicious gleam of the eyes and the great sharp grin hovering under it.

-v-v-

Even many years later, as she gave birth to their second and final child, she was unsure of the monster's leash. Yes, he had always been obedient, always done as told, had been viciously protective of Abraham and then herself. But there was always that undercurrent of private amusement, of an internalized vicious glee, a touch of mocking in each bow, each careful pronunciation of "Master."

She shuddered inside, always and eternally aware that it was a caged predator living beside her, one that might be merely humoring them by staying inside those bars. Arthur...Arthur was so young, barely an adolescent, and so overconfident in his dealings with the monster that it horrified her. Sometime, somehow, he would demand something with too much arrogance and the vampire would casually swat him out of existence.

She'd had one more child, though they both feared she was too old to do so, because...Abraham agreed. Arthur might not live long enough to father a child himself, and if Alucard tired of the agreement and it did not hold him as they hoped...no. They needed a backup, another child of Abraham's line. And so he had dutifully come to her, and she had dutifully accepted, and they had somehow managed to produce a second child while their hairs were turning grey, at an age where many were seeing their grandkids toddle about.

Richard would not have the casual exposure to the monster that Arthur had experienced, not at all. He'd be kept from it, sent to boarding schools, to stay with friends, raised by relatives or the Harkers, so that when he met Alucard (the vampire had insisted on that name), it would not be through the clouded lens of familiarity. One of their children, at least, would recognize the sheer horror of the monster.

-v-v-

Disappointing. He'd hoped for a second Hellsing to manipulate. As it was...he'd follow Arthur's orders. The boy was growing into a fine young man, complete with some carefully established flaws. Either he'd be worth following for the amusement factor, or he'd fail to retain the necessary respect...and then the look of shock and betrayal as his pet vampire carefully explained everything to him, and, eventually, consumed what was left of the man entirely...either would be delicious. A leader brazenly unaware and ignorant of who and what he actually led, or a betrayed Arthur.

Then again, it was only to be expected. He'd chosen Abraham and permitted Anne because they were...entertaining. Worthy. And, oddly enough, in his own vampiric way, he found himself caring for them and about them. Enough so that he'd never bothered to test the possibilities of the bond, had simply followed them. Neither had asked anything of him that he hadn't been prepared to allow; either it had meant nothing, or was worth it for the further manipulation of them, watching the confusion as they tried to interpret his actions as obedience...or if that wicked nearly-hidden grin meant that vampire was merely humoring them.

No, they were not stupid people. Good people, and he didn't regret his decision to become their servant. It had been a good decision. Entertaining, challenging, and allowing him the company of people whom he actually...valued. Cherished, nearly. It was only to be expected. They'd send at least one child away from him, remove it from his careful manipulations.

The red eyes vanished from the shadows, the careful tendrils extracted themselves from Anne's psyche, and he went off to find the child he was allowed. Arthur was nearly old enough to be tempted by alcohol, no more restricted to the minor disobediences that frustrated Abraham to no end. And a few years after that, he'd introduce the boy to women.

Oh, he was a sharp lad. Solid, steady, with a strong sense of responsibility...and a few carefully chosen, selected, and cultivated weaknesses. The perfect master, perhaps? If not...he'd still be entertaining.

The vampire king leaned back in his throne, grinning, eyes dancing with amusement. He'd never have expected this sort of existence a score of years previously. But...he had no complaints, and an entertaining future to look forward to. 


End file.
